What made Dan Hicks’ unexpected death especially heartbreaking was the family he left behind.
The longtime NBC Sports broadcaster and signature voice of the network’s golf coverage died Thursday, Nov. 12, at 64 following what his wife, ESPN sportscaster Hannah Storm, described as an “acute illness.” Hicks and Storm had been married for more than 30 years and had three daughters, Hannah, Ellery and Riley.
“Dan was truly one of a kind and quite simply the person everyone wanted to be around,” Storm wrote on social media. “When he walked into a room, he brought the energy, the laughter, and the people together. He was endlessly kind, thoughtful, and funny, and he made everyone feel like they mattered.”
“Our three daughters and I are heartbroken. We
are grateful for the love and support surrounding our family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Hannah Storm said death was 'unexpected'
Storm described Hicks’ death as “sudden and unexpected,” but did not reveal the specific illness. An exact medical cause of death also has not been publicly disclosed.
Storm has built a broadcasting résumé every bit as accomplished as her husband’s. She joined ESPN in 2008 and became a prominent anchor of SportsCenter, while also contributing to NFL Live, NBA Today, NBA Countdown and WNBA Countdown. Her assignments have included Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, College Football Playoff National Championship and New York Marathon.
Long before arriving at ESPN, Storm was breaking ground for women in sports television. She was the first female host of CNN Sports Tonight and later became the first woman in American television history to solo host a broadcast network sports series when she handled NBC’s Major League Baseball coverage. She also hosted the NBA on NBC and four Olympics.
Hannah Storm's career moved past sports
Her career moved beyond sports, too. Storm spent five years at CBS News as a host of The Early Show, where she covered major stories including the 2004 presidential election, the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, she founded Brainstormin’ Productions and has since produced and directed a number of documentaries and other projects for ESPN and its platforms.
A native of Tucson, Arizona, Hicks began his broadcasting career with CNN in 1989 before moving to NBC Sports in 1992. He covered football, alpine skiing and swimming before becoming NBC Sports’ lead play-by-play broadcaster for golf in 2000.
For golf fans, Hicks’ voice became attached to some of the sport’s biggest moments. He called 27 PGA Tour victories by Tiger Woods, including three U.S. Open triumphs, and anchored The Players Championship for nearly 30 years.
His résumé stretched well beyond golf.
He also won a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event category as part of NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Most recently, Hicks had been calling PGA Tour events and was in his seventh season handling Notre Dame football. He had been scheduled to work this weekend’s “Holy War” between Notre Dame and Boston College in South Bend, Indiana, alongside analyst Jason Garrett and sideline reporter Caroline Pineda.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor for Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: How Dan Hicks and wife Hannah Storm built a life together in broadcasting
