Tragic news struck the sports world and Notre Dame community on Thursday when longtime NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks died at age 64.
His wife, ESPN host and former Notre Dame graduate Hannah Storm, broke the news in an emotional social media post.
https://t.co/8CK7OLXbZx
— Hannah Storm (@HannahStormESPN) November 12, 2026
Hicks reportedly passed away from an “acute illness” and was scheduled to call Saturday’s Notre Dame vs. Boston College game in South Bend. He was in the middle of his second stint as the play-by-play broadcaster for the program’s football games.
Yet, he was known for so much more. He was the ultimate broadcaster because he could do it all.
From football to golf to wall-to-wall Olympics coverage, Hicks was a staple of NBC. Fellow network broadcaster Mike Tirico, who is known for many of the same things as Hicks, also reacted to the news.
Tirico Pays Tribute to Hicks
Hicks and Tirico became extremely close during their time together at NBC. They spent exactly 10 years working together after Tirico joined the network in 2016 following his departure from ESPN. Tirico actually made his NBC debut alongside Hicks and Johnny Miller at the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon.
On Wednesday, not long after the news broke, Tirico shared several photos of the two together with an emotional caption on Instagram.
“Just don’t have the words to describe how we are feeling today,” Tirico said. “Day one at NBC was The Open and I had the chance to work with Dan and Johnny. The welcome from them made me feel a part of the family from the beginning.
“Over a decade of majors and Olympics – we spent hours talking work, our kids and how lucky we are. Our entire company is gutted .. so many of us don’t know an NBC Sports without Dan.
“Prayers are with Hannah and the girls Hannah, Ellery and Riley. Love you Hicksy!!!”
Tirico & Hicks’ Time as Lead Voice for Notre Dame
From 2013-2016, Hicks was the lead voice for Notre Dame football, becoming a staple of the program’s coverage every Saturday when the games aired on NBC.
When Tirico joined the network, he filled in for Hicks in 2016 while Hicks covered the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Tirico ultimately took over the full-time role and called the team’s games from 2017-2021.
Jac Collinsworth briefly took the helm from 2022-2023 before Hicks returned to the booth for the Fighting Irish in 2024. There didn’t seem to be any indication that another change was coming.
Now, for Saturday’s game, NBC has revealed that Jason Benetti will step in as the play-by-play announcer against Boston College. It certainly won’t be an easy assignment under the circumstances.
Mike Tirico Pays Tribute to Dan Hicks After NBC Announcer’s Sudden Death