Introduction
The sports broadcasting world is mourning the loss of Dan Hicks, the longtime NBC Sports announcer who died at 64 following an acute illness.
Hicks died late Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in Connecticut. His wife, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, announced his sudden and unexpected passing on Thursday, November 12.
For more than three decades, Hicks was one of the most recognizable voices in American sports television. He covered professional golf, Olympic swimming, Alpine skiing, Notre Dame football and numerous other major sporting events.
His career was defined by an ability to make extraordinary sporting moments feel personal.
Whether narrating Tiger Woods’ dramatic putts, Michael Phelps’ record-breaking Olympic performances or the excitement of a major golf championship, Hicks brought a distinctive combination of knowledge, enthusiasm and storytelling to the screen.
According to the Associated Press, Hicks spent 35 years at NBC Sports and covered 16 Olympic Games.
His death has prompted emotional tributes from colleagues, athletes and organizations across the sporting world.
Background and Context: Who Was Dan Hicks?
Dan Hicks Facts: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About The NBC Sports Golf Host | Golf Monthly
Dan Hicks was an American sports broadcaster best known for his work covering golf and the Olympic Games for NBC Sports.
Born in Tucson, Arizona, Hicks developed an interest in sports journalism early in his career.
Before joining NBC, he worked at local television stations and later became a sports reporter for CNN in 1989.
His broadcasting career took a significant step forward when he joined NBC Sports in 1992.
Over the following decades, Hicks became one of the network’s most trusted commentators.
His assignments included:
- PGA Tour golf coverage.
- The U.S. Open.
- The Open Championship.
- The Ryder Cup.
- Olympic swimming.
- Olympic Alpine skiing.
- Notre Dame football.
- NFL and NBA coverage.
- International tennis tournaments.
Hicks eventually became NBC’s lead golf play-by-play announcer in 2000.
That role placed him at the center of some of the most memorable moments in modern golf history.
He also became a familiar presence during the Olympics, working across both Summer and Winter Games.
His versatility made him one of NBC Sports’ most valuable broadcasting personalities.
Latest Update: Dan Hicks Dies at 64 Following Acute Illness
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The news of Dan Hicks’ death was confirmed by his wife and NBC Sports on November 12, 2026.
Hicks died late Wednesday in Connecticut, aged 64.
In a statement shared publicly, Hannah Storm described the loss as sudden and unexpected.
She remembered her husband as a devoted partner, loving father and cherished friend.
She also emphasized the important role he played in bringing people together through his humor, warmth and kindness.
What happened to Dan Hicks?
According to reporting by the Associated Press, Hicks died following an acute illness.
However, the specific medical condition has not been publicly identified.
His death was described by his family as sudden and unexpected.
It is important to distinguish the confirmed description of an acute illness from speculation about an underlying medical diagnosis.
Dan Hicks: Key facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dan Hicks |
| Age | 64 |
| Date of death | November 11, 2026 |
| Place of death | Connecticut, USA |
| Profession | Sports broadcaster |
| Employer | NBC Sports |
| NBC career | 1992–2026 |
| Wife | Hannah Storm |
| Children | Hannah, Ellery and Riley |
| Best known for | Golf and Olympic broadcasting |
| Cause of death | Acute illness, specific condition undisclosed |
His final broadcasting assignment
One particularly emotional detail surrounding Hicks’ death is that he had been scheduled to call Notre Dame’s football game against Boston College on Saturday.
He had returned to the Notre Dame broadcasting role in 2024 after previously covering the team between 2013 and 2016.
His unexpected passing therefore came just days before another scheduled appearance in a broadcasting career that had become closely associated with the Fighting Irish.
Expert Insights: The Broadcasting Moments That Defined Dan Hicks
Dan Hicks Facts: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About The NBC Sports Golf Host | Golf Monthly
Dan Hicks Facts: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About The NBC Sports Golf Host | Golf Monthly
Michael Phelps back for NBC’s coverage of Paris ’24
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Dan Hicks was more than a play-by-play announcer.
He was a storyteller who helped audiences understand the emotional importance of sporting moments.
His career included several iconic broadcasts that remain part of sports television history.
1. Tiger Woods’ unforgettable 2008 U.S. Open moment
One of Hicks’ most recognizable broadcasting moments came during the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Tiger Woods was battling a serious knee injury while competing against Rocco Mediate.
On the 18th hole, Woods made a crucial birdie putt to force a playoff.
Hicks delivered the memorable call:
“Expect anything different?”
The short line captured the drama surrounding Woods’ remarkable performance.
Woods went on to win the championship in a Monday playoff, securing his 14th major title.
Hicks was also on the call for 27 of Woods’ tournament victories.
His commentary became closely associated with one of golf’s most successful eras.
2. Michael Phelps’ historic Beijing Olympics
Hicks also played an important role in bringing Olympic swimming to millions of television viewers.
Working alongside former Olympic swimmer and analyst Rowdy Gaines, he covered eight Olympic swimming competitions.
The partnership became particularly memorable during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, breaking the record for the most gold medals won by an athlete at a single Olympic Games.
Hicks and Gaines narrated those historic performances.
The two also covered Phelps throughout his Olympic career, with Hicks calling all 28 of Phelps’ Olympic medal events between 2004 and 2016.
That relationship between broadcaster, analyst and athlete became one of the defining features of NBC’s Olympic swimming coverage.
3. Katie Ledecky’s Olympic achievements
Hicks continued covering Olympic swimming as another generation of American athletes emerged.
He worked alongside Gaines during Katie Ledecky’s Olympic career.
Ledecky won 14 Olympic medals across four Games between 2012 and 2024.
Hicks’ ability to explain the technical details of swimming while maintaining the excitement of the competition made his commentary particularly effective.
4. Alpine skiing and the Winter Olympics
Dan Hicks Facts: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About The NBC Sports Golf Host | Golf Monthly
Hicks was not limited to golf and swimming.
He also became a familiar voice in Olympic Alpine skiing, covering the last four Winter Games.
His ability to transition between completely different sports demonstrated the depth of his preparation and understanding.
NBC Sports executives praised his versatility, knowledge and enthusiasm in their tribute following his death.
According to NBC, his storytelling helped elevate some of the biggest sporting moments of the past three decades.
Broader Implications: What Dan Hicks Meant to Sports Broadcasting
The death of Dan Hicks represents a significant loss for American sports television.
His career coincided with several major transformations in how audiences experienced sports.
1. The importance of the familiar broadcasting voice
Sports commentators become part of the memories associated with major sporting events.
For many viewers, Hicks’ voice was inseparable from watching golf on Sunday afternoons or following Olympic swimming every four years.
His commentary helped connect the action on screen with the emotions surrounding it.
That familiarity is difficult to replace.
2. NBC Sports loses a broadcasting veteran
Hicks joined NBC in 1992 and remained with the network for 34 years.
During that time, he worked across several major sports properties and became a central figure in its golf and Olympic coverage.
NBC Sports president Rick Cordella and executive producers Sam Flood and Molly Solomon described him as an exceptional storyteller and colleague.
Their statement emphasized not only his broadcasting achievements but also the encouragement, humor and kindness he brought to the workplace.
3. A lasting influence on Olympic coverage
Hicks worked at 16 Olympic Games, including nine Summer and seven Winter editions.
His experience covered swimming, skiing, speed skating and other major events.
Few broadcasters demonstrate that level of versatility across such a long career.
His partnership with Rowdy Gaines also became an important part of NBC’s swimming coverage.
4. Sports commentary is about more than statistics
One of the recurring themes in tributes to Hicks is his curiosity.
Former Olympic skier Ted Ligety praised his ability to understand different sports and tell athletes’ stories.
That quality is important because great sports commentary involves more than describing what happens.
It requires understanding the personalities, preparation and emotional stakes behind each performance.
Hicks understood that distinction.
Mike Tirico and NBC Colleagues Pay Tribute to Dan Hicks
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Hicks’ passing has prompted emotional reactions from colleagues who worked alongside him throughout his career.
Mike Tirico, one of NBC Sports’ most recognizable broadcasters, was among those remembering his longtime colleague.
The Detroit News report highlighted Tirico’s tribute following the announcement.
Their professional relationship reflected the close-knit nature of NBC’s sports broadcasting team.
Hicks had spent decades working alongside commentators, analysts, producers and athletes across different sporting events.
Rowdy Gaines remembers his longtime broadcast partner
One of the most personal tributes came from Rowdy Gaines.
The former Olympic swimmer had worked alongside Hicks during numerous Olympic competitions.
Gaines described Hicks as one of his closest friends and remembered their partnership as extending well beyond the swimming broadcast booth.
Their shared experiences included some of the most important moments in American Olympic swimming history.
For Gaines, the loss was not simply that of a colleague. It was the loss of a trusted friend.
Ted Ligety praises his curiosity and storytelling
Former Olympic skiing champion Ted Ligety also remembered Hicks’ ability to understand sports at an exceptional level.
Ligety highlighted his curiosity and willingness to ask questions.
That approach allowed Hicks to communicate complicated sporting moments in ways that viewers could understand.
His colleagues consistently emphasized that the warmth viewers heard on television reflected the person they knew away from the cameras.
Related History: Dan Hicks and the Evolution of NBC Sports
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To understand Hicks’ legacy, it helps to consider how much sports broadcasting changed during his career.
When he joined NBC in 1992, television sports coverage was evolving rapidly.
Cable networks were expanding, major sporting events were attracting larger audiences and broadcasters were becoming increasingly important to the identity of sports programming.
Hicks experienced these changes firsthand.
The growth of televised golf
Hicks became NBC’s lead golf announcer in 2000.
Over the following years, he covered some of the biggest tournaments in the sport.
His work included 27 U.S. Opens, 23 U.S. Women’s Opens and numerous PGA Tour events.
He also covered the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and The Open Championship.
His partnership with Johnny Miller became particularly familiar to golf viewers.
Together, they helped define NBC’s golf coverage for an entire generation.
The Olympic broadcasting era
Hicks’ Olympic career began with the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Across 16 Olympics, he covered nine Summer and seven Winter Games.
His most recognizable assignments included swimming, Alpine skiing and speed skating.
The Beijing Olympics in 2008 became a particularly important chapter because of his coverage of Michael Phelps’ eight-gold-medal performance.
Notre Dame football
NBC Announcer Changes – Notre Dame – Domer Domain
Hicks also developed a strong connection with Notre Dame football.
He called Fighting Irish games from 2013 to 2016 before returning to the role in 2024.
His relationship with the university extended beyond broadcasting.
His wife, Hannah Storm, graduated from Notre Dame in 1983.
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua remembered Hicks as a fixture on campus and in the broadcast booth, as well as a dear friend.
A career across multiple sports
Beyond golf, swimming and football, Hicks also covered:
- NFL games for NBC between 1992 and 1997.
- NBA coverage between 1992 and 2000.
- Five French Open tournaments.
- Olympic speed skating.
- Olympic Alpine skiing.
His career demonstrated how a broadcaster could move between sports while maintaining a consistent style and personality.
What Happens Next?
Following Hicks’ death, the immediate focus remains on his family, colleagues and the broadcasting community.
Several developments are worth watching.
NBC Sports tributes: The network is expected to continue remembering Hicks through its golf, football and Olympic programming.
Notre Dame broadcasting: NBC will need to address its commentary arrangements for upcoming Fighting Irish games following his unexpected passing.
Golf broadcasting legacy: His memorable calls and partnerships with analysts will likely feature in future retrospectives.
Olympic memories: His work with Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and Rowdy Gaines remains an important part of NBC’s Olympic broadcasting history.
Family remembrance: Hannah Storm and their three daughters are receiving condolences from colleagues, athletes and viewers.
Hicks leaves behind an extensive body of work that will continue to be revisited whenever audiences look back at the sporting moments he helped narrate.
Conclusion
Dan Hicks’ death at 64 marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in American sports broadcasting.
For 34 years at NBC Sports, he helped audiences experience some of the most memorable moments in golf, Olympic swimming, Alpine skiing and college football.
His call during Tiger Woods’ 2008 U.S. Open triumph remains an enduring example of how a broadcaster can become part of sporting history.
His partnership with Rowdy Gaines helped bring Michael Phelps’ extraordinary Olympic achievements into millions of homes.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of the tributes is the consistency with which colleagues describe Hicks as a kind, funny and generous person.
His professional achievements were substantial, but his personal relationships clearly mattered just as much.
Hannah Storm and their three daughters have lost a husband and father. NBC Sports has lost a veteran storyteller. Sports fans have lost a familiar voice that accompanied some of their most unforgettable memories.
Dan Hicks will be remembered not simply for the events he covered, but for the way he made audiences feel while watching them.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who was Dan Hicks?
Dan Hicks was a longtime American sports broadcaster who worked for NBC Sports for 34 years. He was best known for covering golf, Olympic swimming, Alpine skiing and Notre Dame football.
2. How did Dan Hicks die?
Dan Hicks died following an acute illness, according to his wife, Hannah Storm. The specific medical condition has not been publicly disclosed.
3. How old was Dan Hicks when he died?
He was 64 years old when he died on November 11, 2026.
4. Who was Dan Hicks married to?
Dan Hicks was married to ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm. They had been married for more than 30 years.
5. How many children did Dan Hicks have?
He and Hannah Storm had three daughters: Hannah, Ellery and Riley.
6. How long did Dan Hicks work for NBC Sports?
Hicks joined NBC Sports in 1992 and worked there for 34 years.
7. What sports did Dan Hicks cover?
He covered professional golf, Olympic swimming, Alpine skiing, speed skating, Notre Dame football, NFL games, NBA basketball and tennis.
8. Did Dan Hicks cover Michael Phelps at the Olympics?
Yes. Hicks worked alongside Rowdy Gaines during Olympic swimming coverage and narrated Michael Phelps’ eight-gold-medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
9. What was Dan Hicks’ most famous golf commentary moment?
One of his most memorable calls came during the 2008 U.S. Open when Tiger Woods made a crucial putt to force a playoff. Hicks exclaimed, “Expect anything different?”
10. What did Mike Tirico say about Dan Hicks?
Mike Tirico publicly mourned Hicks’ death and remembered his NBC Sports colleague. The Detroit News covered his reaction on November 12, 2026.
11. How many Olympic Games did Dan Hicks cover?
He covered 16 Olympic Games: nine Summer Olympics and seven Winter Olympics.
12. What was Dan Hicks’ last scheduled broadcasting assignment?
He had been scheduled to call Notre Dame’s football game against Boston College on November 14, 2026.
Sources & References
1. ESPN: Longtime sports broadcaster Dan Hicks dies at age 64
2. Associated Press: Longtime NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks dies at 64
3. The Detroit News: Mike Tirico mourns death of NBC Sports broadcast colleague Dan Hicks
4. NBC Sports: Dan Hicks, NBC Sports voice for 34 years of memorable moments, dies at age 64
5. CBS News / AP: Iconic NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks dies at 64
6. Fox Sports / AP: Longtime NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks dies at 64
