Dan Hicks, the Voice of NBC Golf and 15 Olympic Games, Dies at 64

One of the most familiar voices in American sports television has gone quiet. Dan Hicks, NBC Sports’ lead golf play-by-play announcer for more than 25 years and a mainstay of its Olympic coverage, died on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. He was 64. His wife, longtime ESPN and NBC anchor Hannah Storm, announced his death on X the next day, saying the family was heartbroken by his sudden and unexpected passing following an acute illness. No further cause of death was given.

Who was Dan Hicks?

A native of Tucson, Arizona, Hicks started in radio before becoming a weekend sports anchor at KVOA, Tucson’s NBC affiliate. He moved to CNN in Atlanta as a sports reporter and anchor in 1989, then joined NBC Sports in 1992, where he would stay for the rest of his life.

Dan Hicks career highlights

• NBC Sports, 1992 to 2026: 34 years with the network
• Lead golf voice since 2000: anchored coverage of the PGA Tour, U.S. Open and major championships
• Olympics: play-by-play at 15 Olympic Games, according to NBC Sports, including a record eight in swimming and the last four in Alpine skiing
• NFL on NBC: play-by-play from 1992 to 1998
• NBA on NBC: play-by-play in the 1990s

For golf fans, Hicks’s steady, warm voice is tied to some of the sport’s defining moments. His three-word reaction to Tiger Woods’ tying putt at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, “Expect anything different?”, became part of golf lore and is still replayed today. For Olympic fans, he was the voice that carried swimming’s biggest nights across multiple Games, a run that included many of the sport’s most-watched races.

Tributes pour in

NBC Sports executives Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and Molly Solomon called Hicks an extraordinary colleague and an exceptional storyteller. The PGA Tour said his voice filled living rooms for more than 25 years. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, Storm’s boss, praised his blend of knowledge, style and humor, and NBC’s Mike Tirico paid tribute on TODAY. Versant CEO Mark Lazarus, a longtime colleague, said he was heartbroken, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

A family of broadcasters

Hicks and Storm married in 1994 and were one of sports television’s best-known couples. Colleague Jimmy Roberts recalled on TODAY that Hicks had an affectionate nickname for his wife and three daughters. He is survived by Storm and their daughters, Hannah, Ellery and Riley.

Hicks’s death comes in a difficult week for broadcasting and entertainment, following the losses of Stacy Keach, Irma P. Hall and Anthony Clark.

Related on Nerdism

• Stacy Keach Dies at 85
• Anthony Clark, Yes, Dear Star, Dies at 62
• Mauricio Pochettino Named Manchester United Head Coach

Sources: NBC Sports, ESPN, The Hollywood Reporter, TODAY.