Dan Hicks, Longtime NBC Sports Broadcaster, Dies at 64

Dan Hicks, the longtime NBC Sports broadcaster who spent 26 years as the network’s lead golf announcer and called some of the most memorable moments in Olympic swimming, died Wednesday following an acute illness. He was 64. Hicks joined NBC Sports in 1992 and became its lead golf play-by-play announcer in 2000, covering major tournaments including the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup. He also called Olympic swimming alongside analyst Rowdy Gaines, including Michael Phelps’ historic eight-gold-medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Games, as well as Notre Dame football and Olympic skiing. “Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness,” his wife, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, said in a family statement published Thursday by Golf Channel. “He was a devoted husband of over 30 years, loving father to our three daughters, and cherished friend to so many. His loss is immeasurable.” Among Hicks’ most memorable broadcasts were Tiger Woods’ dramatic putt to force a playoff at the 2008 U.S. Open and the American men’s swimming team’s comeback victory in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics that same year. He spent nearly two decades calling golf alongside analyst Johnny Miller and became one of the network’s most familiar voices across major sporting events. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Hicks graduated from the University of Arizona and began his broadcasting career in local radio and television. He joined CNN in 1989, anchoring weekend editions of “CNN Sports Tonight” and hosting college football and basketball programming before moving to NBC three years later. His assignments at NBC also included NFL games, NBA coverage and Olympic speed skating. “Dan Hicks was an extraordinary colleague, friend and person,” NBC Sports executives Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and Molly Solomon said in a joint statement provided to TheWrap. “He was an exceptional storyteller and caller of games and events who elevated some of the biggest moments in sports history.” Versant CEO Mark Lazarus, who worked alongside Hicks at NBC for decades, said he was “heartbroken by the sudden loss of our friend,” remembering him as a loyal friend and devoted husband and father. Hicks is survived by Storm and their daughters Hannah, Ellery and Riley.