Make New York Post a Preferred Source Legendary sports broadcaster Dan Hicks, who died at the age of 64, celebrated one of his three daughters’ recent marathon achievement in his last Instagram post before his unexpected death.
A three-slide post showed daughter Riley running in the Chicago Marathon last month, along with a photo of her and then a photo of Dan, Riley and fellow daughter Ellery.
“Our girl did it again. 3rd major marathon in 18 months,” Dan wrote on Oct. 11. “Today she tackled Chicagp (sic) and we were there to marvel at her drive in hot weather and smashing her PR!”
View this post on Instagram Dan, a longtime NBC announcer, died of an acute illness Wednesday in Connecticut, according to the Associated Press.
His wife, ESPN star and “SportsCenter” host Hannah Storm, said it was “sudden and unexpected.”
“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 a social media post Thursday. “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.”
Dan, who narrated golfing events plus Notre Dame games, among other NBC duties, often posted family shots on social media of him and Storm, along with shots of his daughters.
He embraced his “Girls Dad” role, often celebrating birthdays and graduations, among other notable achievements.
When he wasn’t spending time with his family, Dan called 27 Tiger Woods victories, 27 U.S. Opens and 23 U.S. Women’s Opens for NBC Sports, and this season marked his seventh calling Notre Dame football games, according to the AP.
View this post on Instagram “Dan Hicks was an extraordinary colleague, friend and person,” NBC Sports’ Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and Molly Solomon said in a release. “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.”
