Passages: NBC Olympic Broadcaster Dan Hicks, 64
NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks, who served as NBC’s swimming broadcaster for the last eight Olympics, has died. He was 64.
Hicks’ wife, fellow broadcaster and journalist Hannah Storm, made the announcement Thursday. They described it as following an “acute illness.”
“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,” Storm wrote in the announcement. “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. These are simply no words to express how much he will be missed.”
Hicks had been at NBC since 1992 after starting his broadcasting career at CNN. He called 16 Olympics (15 in a play-by-play role) dating to the 1992 Barcelona Games, with eight as the swimming play-by-play commentator, teamming with Rowdy Gaines.
At the Winter Games, he worked speed skating for three Olympics from 2002-10 before shifting to alpine skiing as well as studio coverage.
In addition to his work at the Olympics, he was a fixture in coverage of the PGA Tour and Notre Dame football.
Among his most iconic calls was the American comeback powered by Jason Lezak in the 400 freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
On the golf course, he was a tower announcer before being promoted to play-by-play in 2000. He has called numerous majors as well as the Ryder Cup, FedEx Cup and the President’s Cup.
“Dan Hicks was an extraordinary colleague, friend and person,” NBC Sports said in a statement attributed to Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and Molly Solomon. “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.
“From Olympic swimming and skiing to Notre Dame Football, numerous other high-profile events and especially as the signature voice of our golf coverage for the last 26 years, Dan’s blend of knowledge style, enthusiasm and humor informed and entertained fans for decades. 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. Our heartfelt condolences and love to his wife Hannah and his daughters Hannah, Ellery and Riley.”
“I am heartbroken by the sudden loss of our friend Dan Hicks,” Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said in a statement,. “For decades, I had the privilege of working alongside Dan, but our friendship extended far beyond NBC Sports. Dan was one of the very best at what he did, but what I will remember most is the person he was: a loyal friend and a devoted husband and father. My family and I are thinking of Hannah, their children and the entire Hicks family. We will miss him.”
Hicks was hired by CNN in 1989. He began his career in 1984 as an anchor or reporter at KCEE/KWFM in his native Tucson, Arizona, and also worked at NBC affiliate KVOA-TV in Tucson.
He is survived by his wife, Storm, and three daughters.
