The Notre Dame family is mourning the passing of Dan Hicks, a legendary broadcaster and a friend of the Fighting Irish football program, following news of his death Thursday morning.
Hicks’ death was announced Thursday morning by Golf Channel broadcaster Rich Lerner, who was also a good friend of Hicks. Lerner began his brief announcement by saying that the death came as a shock and that he struggled to find the words needed to announce the loss.
Shortly after, tributes began pouring in on social media, honoring the Notre Dame, golf, and Olympic broadcaster and expressing shock at his death. Hicks was married to another famed broadcaster, Hannah Storm, who is also a Fighting Irish alum.
Rich Lerner announces on Golf Channel that longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Dan Hicks has passed away at 64.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 12, 2026
Hicks was the longtime lead play-by-play voice of the PGA Tour, Notre Dame football, and Olympic swimming and skiing on NBC. pic.twitter.com/45HBapuMhg
Storm also posted on social media, confirming that Hicks had passed away while making it clear that she and their three daughters were understandably heartbroken.
Notre Dame football mourns Dan Hicks as tributes pour in for legendary NBC broadcaster
— Hannah Storm (@HannahStormESPN) November 12, 2026
Shortly after the news broke, NBC Sports, the home broadcaster for Notre Dame football games and the network where Hicks worked for decades, released its own tribute.
“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 man for the PGA Tour since 2000. He was also a veteran of 16 Olympic broadcasts. Among Hicks' most notable calls was Team USA's surprise gold-medal victory in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, led by Michael Phelps, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Hicks began his second stint as lead play-by-play man for Notre Dame football games in 2024, replacing Jac Collinsworth. His return was almost a decade after he left. The first time he called games for the Fighting Irish was from 2013 to 2016.
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