Notre Dame is mourning one of the most familiar voices in its orbit after the death of Dan Hicks, the longtime NBC Sports broadcaster who spent decades calling some of the biggest events in sports.
The news was announced Thursday morning by Golf Channel broadcaster Rich Lerner, a close friend of Hicks, who said the loss came as a shock and that he struggled to find the words to deliver it. Hicks died at 64.
Tributes quickly followed on social media, with fans and colleagues remembering Hicks for his work across Notre Dame football, golf, and the Olympics. Hicks was married to broadcaster Hannah Storm, a Fighting Irish alum, and Storm also confirmed his death online while saying that she and their three daughters were heartbroken.
NBC Sports, where Hicks worked for 34 years, soon issued its own statement honoring him.
“Dan Hicks was an extraordinary colleague, friend and person. 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.”
Hicks had been NBC Sports’ lead play-by-play voice for the PGA Tour since 2000 and also worked 16 Olympic broadcasts. One of his most memorable calls came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Team USA stunned the field to win gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay behind Michael Phelps.
He also had a second run as Notre Dame football’s lead play-by-play voice, returning in 2024 to replace Jac Collinsworth. That came nearly a decade after his previous stint calling Fighting Irish games from 2013 to 2016.
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