Mike Tirico has spent years helping NBC viewers experience some of the biggest moments in sports. However, his latest public comments concern a loss that reaches far beyond anything that happens during a game or match. As tributes pour in for Dan Hicks, Tirico offered a deeply personal look at what his longtime colleague meant behind the scenes.
Hicks died Thursday at 64, leaving colleagues and viewers mourning a broadcaster whose work stretched across golf, football and the Olympics. His familiar voice became part of the experience for generations of sports fans.
For Tirico, the memories also include conversations viewers never heard. His Instagram tribute recalled the beginning of their working relationship and explained why Hicks’ absence will hurt throughout NBC.
Mike Tirico Remembers His First Assignment With Dan Hicks
Joining a new network means learning new routines and building relationships. Tirico remembered how Hicks helped make that transition feel comfortable from the start.
“Just don’t have the words to describe how we are feeling today. Day one at NBC was [The Open] and I had the chance to work with Dan and Johnny,” Tirico wrote on Instagram. “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.”
The reference to Johnny Miller brought Tirico’s tribute back to a golf booth familiar to longtime viewers. However, the most personal part concerned what happened away from the microphones.
Tirico remembered talking about their children, their careers and their appreciation for the opportunities they shared. Those details help explain the bond that developed over years of assignments together.
Fans typically see broadcasters during a few hours of competition. Colleagues also share travel, preparation and downtime. Tirico’s words offered a glimpse of the friendship that grew during those hours.
He then widened his tribute to include the people throughout NBC who now face the same painful absence.
“Our entire company is gutted .. so many of us don’t know an [NBC Sports] without Dan.”
That observation explains why the loss extends well beyond a single broadcast team. Hicks spent almost 35 years at NBC Sports, becoming a constant presence across several of its most recognizable events.
NBC Is Truly At A Loss After Hicks’ Passing
Tirico’s tribute arrived during a week when viewers had already noticed his own absence from television. He missed Sunday’s Chicago Bears–Tampa Bay Buccaneers broadcast because of a health issue.
His Instagram post, however, focused entirely on Hicks and the relationships he built.
The welcome Tirico described from when he joined NBC carries particular weight. Even an experienced broadcaster remembers the people who make a new workplace feel familiar. Years later, that first assignment remained part of how he remembered Hicks.
There will be countless highlights celebrating Hicks’ broadcasting career. Tirico added something those clips cannot capture: the hours spent talking about family and feeling fortunate to work together.
For viewers, Hicks was a familiar voice. For Tirico and his NBC colleagues, he was also part of what made the network feel like home.
Mike Tirico Reveals NBC’s Heartbreak Over Tragic Dan Hicks Loss