Make New York Post a Preferred Source The emotional tributes have poured in for Dan Hicks after the legendary sports broadcaster’s sudden death at 64, as his wife Hannah Storm announced Thursday.
Outside of his family, few other tributes hit home as much as Hicks’ close friends and colleagues Roger Maltbie and Jimmy Roberts.
Maltbie, a professional golfer-turned-broadcaster, phoned into Golf Channel’s broadcast Thursday morning.
“This is a tough one, Rich [Lerner]. I mean really tough. It’s tough looking at death. Jimmy sitting up there, and I feel so bad that he’s put in that role,” Maltbie said. “I’m sure he has said all the right things and things I totally agree with. This is not losing a colleague and a nice guy, this is losing a pal. And the three of us referred to ourselves as ‘The Supper Club.’
“And Sam Flood called me last night, he said ‘I had to give you a call. I just spoke with Tommy Roy and I knew I had to call you because you, Jimmy and Dan probably had dinner together more often than you did with your wives over the last 25 or so years.’ Danny was just such a fun and wonderful guy. I love him, this is really hard.”
Roberts, co-anchor with Rich Lerner on Golf Channel, also commented, via NBC Sports: “Dan was just an extraordinary friend. You know, I’ve been trying to process this and the way I process, like you is, I write. I wrote down some thoughts. He was talented, he was hard working, he was generous. He wanted his friends to succeed. He rooted for people. When I first started doing play-by-play, which is something I didn’t have any experience with, Dan was the first person to step in and help me. I think he was underappreciated. I think there are so many giants in our industry who are out there doing such incredible work but Dan never made it about himself. I don’t know that he ever got the credit that he deserves.
“…Such a talent, just such a friend. And you know, I don’t get nervous in front of a camera anymore, but I’m kind of shaking right now because this one just hurts so much. I have sat in this chair and these chairs for so many years and talked about the passing of people, people that I knew, people that I didn’t. But this is the hardest.”
Roberts shared the news with Lerner live in the studio Thursday morning.
“Dan Hicks is gone. It simply does not make sense,” Lerner said. “Dan was 64, going on 44, top of his game, still. Players Championships, U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, Olympic swimming and skiing. He was active, in shape, highly successful, fully engaged man in his later prime with little to prove, enjoying his work, his life with his beautiful and equally talented wife, Hannah Storm, and their three daughters.
“So, to say Dan Hicks is gone, makes no sense and it makes us profoundly sad.”
Hicks passed away following an “acute illness,” Storm shared.
The voice of golf for NBC Sports was set to call the Notre Dame-Boston College football game Saturday in South Bend, Ind., for NBC and Peacock.
He also recently attended the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11 to support his daughter Riley, who completed the race.
Hicks leaves behind Storm and his three daughters — Hannah, Ellery and Riley.
He was one of NBC Sports’ longest-tenured on-air voices and was behind the desk for various events, including Olympic swimming and skiing and Notre Dame Football
Hicks took home a Sports Emmy in 2024 as part of NBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics.
