NBC Sports Broadcaster Dan Hicks Dies Suddenly at 64
Dan Hicks, the longtime NBC Sports broadcaster whose voice became synonymous with golf, Olympic swimming and Notre Dame football, has died. He was 64.
Hicks died Wednesday, Nov. 11, following an acute illness, his wife announced the next day. ESPN anchor Hannah Storm, who married Hicks in 1994, shared the news on social media, writing that the family was heartbroken by his “sudden and unexpected passing.”
In her statement, Storm described Hicks as a devoted husband of more than 30 years and a loving father to their three daughters.
From Tucson to the National Stage
Born in Tucson, Arizona, Hicks graduated from the University of Arizona in 1984 with a degree in journalism. He began his career that same year as a sports anchor and news reporter for a Tucson radio station before moving to KVOA-TV, the city’s NBC affiliate.
In 1989, he joined CNN as a national sports anchor. Three years later, in the summer of 1992, he moved to NBC Sports, where he would spend the next 34 years.
The Voice of Golf on NBC
Hicks became NBC Sports’ lead play-by-play announcer for golf in 2000, a role he held for more than two decades. Over that time, he called some of the sport’s most memorable moments.
Among the most famous was Tiger Woods’ dramatic birdie putt on the final hole of the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which forced a playoff that Woods went on to win. Hicks’ call of that moment remains one of the best-known in golf broadcasting.
A Fixture at the Olympics
Hicks was also a familiar voice for Olympic fans. Over his career, he worked 16 Olympic Games across the Summer and Winter Games.
As NBC’s swimming announcer, he called all 28 of Michael Phelps’ Olympic medals, from 2004 through 2016. His work on NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics earned him a Sports Emmy.
Most recently, Hicks served as NBC’s play-by-play announcer for Alpine skiing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year.
Back in the Booth for Notre Dame
Hicks also had a long connection to Notre Dame football. He called NBC’s Notre Dame games for years before stepping away after the 2016 season, then returned as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer in 2024.
He had been scheduled to call a Notre Dame game this weekend.
Tributes Pour In
News of Hicks’ death prompted an outpouring of tributes from colleagues across the sports world.
NBC Sports called him an extraordinary colleague, friend and person, describing him as “an exceptional storyteller and caller of games,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The network said he elevated some of the biggest moments in sports history.
Tributes also came from outside NBC. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the network was deeply saddened, describing Hicks as a respected voice in sports broadcasting and noting that Storm is a cherished member of the ESPN family.
The NBC Sports tribute also included messages from the golf and skiing communities, reflecting how many corners of the sports world he touched over his career.
Survivors
Hicks is survived by his wife, Hannah Storm, and their daughters, Hannah, Ellery and Riley.
For more than three decades, Hicks brought viewers to the edge of their seats, from the greens at major golf championships to the pool and the ski slopes at the Olympics. His calls became part of some of sports’ most unforgettable moments, and for many fans, his voice was the soundtrack to them.
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