Make New York Post a Preferred Source NBC Sports put together a touching tribute for Dan Hicks during Saturday’s Notre Dame-Boston College game after the legendary broadcaster died suddenly earlier this week.
The network kicked off the pregame show with a monologue from NBC host Ahmed Fareed, who called Hicks a “friend of so many.”
“Today we will celebrate a man whose expertise, but more importantly his warmth and his humor, will live on through everyone he knew,” Fareed said. “So this is not just another game for us, not just another day. Today is a day that we remember and miss our friend.”
“We have a crew in South Bend hurting, still in disbelief, but continuing to do what Dan did. They’re making everyone else’s day just a little bit better. If you met Dan, you felt like a close friend.”
Notre Dame also put out a tribute to Hicks in the press box at the stadium before the game, according to Chuck Freeby.
The legendary broadcaster was in the middle of his 35th year with the network at the time of his death.
NBC Golf announcer Dan Hicks stands at Castle Pines Golf Club following the BMW Championship in Castle Rock, Colo., Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images He served as the lead play-by-play announcer for Notre Dame games from 2013-16 before returning to the booth in 2024.
Hicks was set to call Saturday’s game alongside analyst Jason Garrett before his death.
He joined NBC in 1992 and spent the past 26 years as the network’s lead golf play-by-play announcer, while also covering 15 Olympic Games, the NFL and NBA.
“Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness,” Hicks’ wife, Hannah Storm, a “SportsCenter” anchor, wrote on X.
Dan Hicks of NBC talks after the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images “He was a devoted husband of over 30 years, loving father of our three daughters, and cherished friend to so many. His loss is immeasurable.”
Storm said Hicks died of an “acute illness.”
“Dan was truly one of a kind, and quite simply, the person everyone wanted to be around,” Storm wrote. “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.”
