Dan Hicks, the longtime NBC Sports broadcaster who called golf’s biggest championships for more than a quarter-century, died on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, in Connecticut. He was 64, and his wife, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, announced the death on Thursday, saying Hicks died following an acute illness.
“Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness,” Storm wrote in a social media post. Reuters reported that Hicks died on Wednesday, and NBC Sports confirmed the news in a statement praising a 34-year career at the network.
“Dan Hicks was an extraordinary colleague, friend and person,” NBC Sports said. “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.”
Hicks was a Tucson native who graduated from the University of Arizona in 1984, then worked at KVOA-TV in Tucson and at CNN before joining NBC Sports in 1992. He called NFL games for the network from 1992 to 1998, worked as a sideline reporter on NBA coverage, and served as a tower announcer on golf telecasts before succeeding Dick Enberg as NBC’s lead golf voice in 2000.
The call that defined an Olympic night
Beyond golf, Hicks became one of the most familiar voices of the Olympic Games, calling swimming and skiing across 16 Olympics. His most famous night behind the microphone came at the 2008 Beijing Games, when he called the finish of the men’s 4×100-metre freestyle relay as the United States team, anchored by Michael Phelps, touched the wall ahead of France.
He was part of NBC’s Sports Emmy-winning broadcast team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, an honour that capped a career spent at the centre of the network’s biggest events, from the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup to the Presidents Cup.
Notre Dame will miss him this Saturday
Hicks had been the play-by-play voice of Notre Dame football on NBC for seven seasons, first from 2013 to 2016 and again since 2024, working alongside former NFL coach Jason Garrett as analyst. His final Notre Dame telecast was the Stanford game on 10 October.
He was scheduled to call Saturday’s home game against Boston College in South Bend on 14 November. Jason Benetti, part of NBC’s Big Ten coverage, will replace him on the call.
Tributes poured in from the tour
The news landed in a heavy week for American sports, days after the 2026 Cy Young Award winners were announced in a unanimous vote. Across the PGA Tour, players remembered Hicks less for his famous calls than for the person behind them.
Billy Horschel, speaking at the Austin Championship on Thursday, recalled that when he and his wife, Brittany, publicly shared the story of her battle with alcohol addiction and her time in rehab, one of the messages that meant the most came from the NBC broadcast booth. Golfweek reported that Horschel, who grew up watching Hicks on television before developing a personal bond with him on tour, struggled to put the loss into words.
Max Homa called Hicks “a lovely person” as tributes spread through the sport on Thursday.
A family in broadcasting
Hicks is survived by Storm, his wife of 32 years — they married on 8 January 1994 — and their three daughters, Ellery, Hannah and Riley. The family lived in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Hicks called NFL games early in his NBC career, from 1992 to 1998, long before the modern quarterback carousel, whose latest turn brought Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota this week. He leaves behind a voice that, for a generation of golf fans, simply was the sound of Sunday afternoon.
Dan Hicks career at a glance
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Graduates from the University of Arizona |
| 1986–1989 | Works at KVOA-TV in Tucson |
| 1989–1992 | Works at CNN |
| 1992 | Joins NBC Sports; begins NFL play-by-play |
| 2000 | Becomes NBC’s lead golf play-by-play voice |
| 2008 | Calls the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics |
| 2013–2016, 2024–2026 | Play-by-play voice of Notre Dame football |
| 2024 | Part of Sports Emmy-winning Paris Olympics broadcast team |
| 11 November 2026 | Dies in Connecticut, aged 64 |
Dan Hicks FAQs
How did Dan Hicks die?
His wife, Hannah Storm, said Hicks died following an acute illness, describing his passing as sudden and unexpected. No further details about the illness have been released.
How old was Dan Hicks?
He was 64. Hicks was born on 2 June 1962 in Tucson, Arizona.
What was Dan Hicks best known for?
He was NBC Sports’ lead golf voice from 2000, calling the PGA Tour, the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup, and he called swimming and skiing at 16 Olympic Games.
Who is Dan Hicks’ wife?
ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, whom he married on 8 January 1994. They had three daughters: Ellery, Hannah and Riley.
Who will call Notre Dame against Boston College on Saturday?
Jason Benetti will replace Hicks on NBC’s call of the game in South Bend on Saturday, 14 November.
