The three pillars of Dan Hicks’ career as an NBC Sports broadcaster were golf, the Olympics and Notre Dame football, in no particular order. Yet the towering pillars in his life were his wife of 32 years, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, and their three daughters.
Storm broke the news Thursday that Hicks died suddenly a day earlier at 64, triggering an outpouring of grief, heartfelt condolences and tributes.
“Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness,” Storm wrote on social media. “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.”
Hicks was a familiar, authoritative voice during NBC coverage of 26 years of the PGA Tour, 16 Olympics beginning with the 1992 Barcelona Games and seven seasons of Notre Dame football. He was scheduled to call Saturday’s game between the Irish and Boston College.
“Dan Hicks was an extraordinary colleague, friend and person. In his 34 years at NBC Sports, he was an exceptional storyteller and caller of games and events who elevated some of the biggest moments in sports history,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella, executive producer Sam Flood and executive producer Molly Solomon said in a statement.
“But far beyond his on-air excellence, Dan was a better person who welcomed teammates with a smile, a joke, or a word of encouragement, sometimes all three in the same sentence.”
Hicks anchored the network’s golf coverage of the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and the U.S. Women’s Open. He won a Sports Emmy for his work on the 2024 Paris Olympics and was the Alpine skiing play-by-play announcer at the Milan Cortina Games last winter.
His most famous call on the golf course came at the 2008 U.S. Open when Tiger Woods sunk a 12-foot putt to force a playoff at Torrey Pines. Hicks waited for the crowd to erupt then said in an even voice: “Expect anything different?”
On a recent podcast, Hicks described what he considered the most important element of broadcasting.
“I always remind myself, and I remind young broadcasters coming up, you’ve got to make the people that the audience is watching, you’ve got to make them care about those people,” he said. “And how do you do that? You’ve got to tell some personal stories. You’ve got to introduce the audience to, who is this person? Why are they here? What was their journey like to get here? And so, if you use that element, the numbers game doesn’t matter. If you care about somebody, then you are invested in the telecast.”
Hicks and Storm met in 1989 while both worked at CNN Sports Tonight, where Storm was the first female host. They began dating a year later and married Jan. 8, 1994. Storm spent a decade with Hicks at NBC covering four Olympic games and Major League Baseball before moving to CBS News for six years and to ESPN in 2008 where she currently is a Sports Center anchor.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dan Hicks, a respected voice in sports broadcasting and husband of ESPN anchor Hannah Storm,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Hannah is a cherished member of the ESPN family, and our hearts are with her, their three daughters and all who knew and loved Dan, including his NBC colleagues, during this incredibly difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and stand alongside Hannah and her family.”
Storm posted a photo of her with Hicks on social media along with her statement, which concluded, “Dan was truly one of a kind and, quite simply, the person everyone wanted to be around. When he walked into a room, he brought the energy, the laughter and the people together. He was endlessly kind, thoughtful and funny, and he made everyone feel like they mattered.
“Our three daughters and I are heartbroken. We are grateful for the love and support surrounding our family during this incredibly difficult time. There are simply no words to express how much he will be missed.”
Hicks is survived by Storm and their daughters Hannah, Ellery and Riley.
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