NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks died late Wednesday in Connecticut at the age of 64. His wife, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, stated that Hicks died of an acute illness and described his passing as sudden and unexpected.
Hicks joined NBC in 1992 after working for three years at CNN. During his 35-year career at NBC Sports, he became the lead announcer for NBC’s golf coverage and served as a voice for Olympic swimming, Olympic skiing, and Notre Dame football.
In his golf coverage, Hicks served as a tower announcer from 1995 to 1999 before becoming the lead voice in 2000. He called 27 tournament victories by Tiger Woods and broadcasted 27 U.S. Opens, 23 U.S. Women's Opens, the Ryder Cup, and the British Open. In Olympic coverage, he partnered with Rowdy Gaines for eight Olympic Games, calling Michael Phelps' eight gold medals in 2008 and Katie Ledecky’s 14 medals between 2012 and 2024.
At the time of his death, Hicks was in his seventh season calling Notre Dame football games, having served in the role from 2013 to 2016 and returning in 2024. He was scheduled to broadcast the Notre Dame game against Boston College this Saturday. NBC Sports executives Rick Cordella, Sam Flood, and Molly Solomon released a statement noting his 26-year tenure as the signature voice of their golf coverage.
The scale of his impact is reflected in his 35-year career at a major national network. He narrated the careers of prominent athletes like Michael Phelps and Tiger Woods. For the 2024 college football season, his passing creates an immediate vacancy in the broadcast booth for Notre Dame games.
In the immediate term, viewers of this Saturday's Notre Dame versus Boston College game will notice a different lead announcer than originally scheduled. Long-term, the PGA Tour and the United States Golf Association (USGA) lose a broadcaster who anchored their televised tournaments for over two decades. While NBC Sports has not yet named a permanent successor for his various roles, the network will have to reorganize its talent lineup for upcoming golf tournaments and future Olympic cycles. No funeral arrangements or public memorials were detailed in the initial announcement.