Notre Dame Athletics is mourning Dan Hicks after the longtime NBC Sports broadcaster’s death at 64. For Fighting Irish fans, his voice helped bring college football Saturdays into their homes. However, the school’s tribute also offered a glimpse into relationships that extended well beyond his work in the broadcast booth.
Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua released a statement remembering Hicks and expressing support for his wife, Hannah Storm, and their three daughters. His words reflected both the university’s loss and his own friendship with the veteran announcer.
Hicks spent decades covering sports on national television. At Notre Dame, that career also connected him with a community now remembering the person behind the familiar voice.
Notre Dame Athletics Pays Tribute To Dan Hicks
Bevacqua opened his statement by acknowledging Hicks’ place within the Notre Dame community. He also recognized Storm’s connection with the university as a graduate.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of a great friend of Notre Dame, Dan Hicks. Our prayers are with Dan’s wife, Hannah Storm, a Notre Dame graduate, and their three daughters.”
The tribute placed Hicks’ family at the center of the school’s response. Before discussing his broadcasting work or their professional history, Bevacqua expressed concern for those closest to him.
He then addressed what Hicks meant to the football program and the people who encountered him on campus.
“Dan was a fixture here on campus and in the broadcast booth as one of the great voices for Notre Dame Football.”
For viewers, broadcasters often become part of the experience of following a team. Their voices accompany memorable wins, difficult defeats and the anticipation before kickoff. Bevacqua’s description of Hicks as a campus fixture also spoke to a connection that fans watching from home might never have seen.
The statement became particularly personal when Bevacqua turned to their years of friendship.
“On a personal note, Dan was a former colleague of mine at NBC Sports and, more importantly, a dear friend over the course of the last quarter century. We will all miss him dearly.”
Pete Bevacqua Remembers A Longtime Friend
Bevacqua’s professional background helps explain the personal weight of his tribute. Before taking over Notre Dame’s athletic department in March 2024, he served as chairman of NBC Sports. Their connection therefore reached beyond his current responsibilities overseeing Fighting Irish athletics.
The statement did not attempt to summarize every assignment or achievement from Hicks’ career. Instead, Bevacqua focused on their friendship, Hicks’ presence around Notre Dame and the family grieving his death.
That choice gave the tribute its strongest passages. Fans knew Hicks through broadcasts, but Bevacqua remembered someone he had worked alongside and remained close with for roughly 25 years.
His words also underscored how deeply personal this loss is for the university. Storm shares her own history with Notre Dame, while Hicks became a familiar presence through his football work.
For the school, the statement served as both a public remembrance and an expression of support. Its final words captured Bevacqua’s grief with heartbreaking simplicity.
Notre Dame Athletics Issues Statement On Tragic Dan Hicks Death