Dan Hicks Dies at 64: NBC Sports’ Voice of Golf and the Olympics Falls Silent
NBC Sports broadcaster Dan Hicks has died at the age of 64 after an acute illness, his family announced on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Hicks, the network’s lead play-by-play voice for golf since 2000, spent 34 years at NBC and was still scheduled to call Notre Dame’s home game against Boston College on Saturday, 14 November.
His wife, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, shared the news on social media, describing his death as sudden and unexpected. NBC Sports confirmed the death in a statement on Thursday, and tributes from golfers, colleagues and viewers followed within hours.
| Full name | John Daniel Hicks |
| Born | 2 June 1962, Tucson, Arizona, United States |
| Died | 11 November 2026, Connecticut, United States, aged 64 |
| Cause of death | Acute illness; the exact cause has not been publicly disclosed |
| Role | NBC Sports lead play-by-play announcer for golf |
| NBC Sports tenure | 1992–2026 (34 years) |
| Wife | Hannah Storm, ESPN SportsCenter anchor; married 8 January 1994 |
| Children | Three daughters: Hannah, Ellery and Riley |
| Best known for | 2008 US Open call ‘Expect anything different?’; Olympic swimming; Notre Dame football |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
A 34-Year Run Behind the NBC Microphone
Hicks was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, and graduated from Sabino High School in 1980 and the University of Arizona in 1984. He began in radio before becoming a weekend sports anchor at KVOA, the NBC affiliate in Tucson, then moved to CNN as a sports reporter in 1989.
He joined NBC Sports in 1992, working first on NFL and NBA coverage. He called NFL games for the network from 1992 to 1998 and served as a sideline reporter for the NBA on NBC before moving into the lead golf role in 2000, succeeding Dick Enberg. He stayed in that chair for more than a quarter of a century.
Alongside golf, Hicks became a fixture of NBC’s biggest stages. He called swimming and alpine skiing at 16 Olympic Games, handled Notre Dame football play-by-play from 2013 to 2016 and again from 2024, and was part of the Sports Emmy-winning broadcast team for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Call That Defined a Career: ‘Expect Anything Different?’
Hicks’ most famous moment came at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. Tiger Woods, playing with a damaged knee and a stress fracture in his leg, needed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate. As the putt dropped, Hicks delivered the line that golf fans still quote: ‘Expect anything different?’
Woods won the playoff the next day for his third US Open title. Hicks called 27 of Woods’ PGA Tour victories in total, including three US Open triumphs, and anchored NBC’s coverage of The Players Championship for nearly 30 years. He also worked for almost two decades alongside analyst Johnny Miller in one of golf television’s defining broadcast partnerships.
Sixteen Olympics and the Voice of Swimming
Away from golf, Hicks was the voice American viewers associated with Olympic swimming. He called Michael Phelps’ record haul of gold medals, including the dramatic 4×100-metre freestyle relay comeback at the Beijing 2008 Games, when Jason Lezak chased down France on the anchor leg.
His Olympic work stretched across Summer and Winter Games, from Atlanta 1996 through Paris 2024, covering swimming and skiing with the same measured delivery that marked his golf commentary. Colleagues described a broadcaster who let the event carry the moment rather than crowding it with his own voice.
Family, Tributes and What Happens Next
Hicks married Hannah Storm on 8 January 1994 after the pair met while both worked at CNN. Storm went on to become an anchor of ESPN’s SportsCenter, and the couple raised three daughters — Hannah, Ellery and Riley — in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Tributes on Thursday came from across golf and broadcasting. Golf Channel colleagues Roger Maltbie and Jimmy Roberts paid emotional on-air tributes, while golfer Billy Horschel recalled Hicks’ kindness when his wife Brittany was in rehabilitation. The PGA Tour also paid tribute, calling Hicks one of the most recognised voices in American sports coverage.
NBC has not publicly named who will call Saturday’s Notre Dame–Boston College game in Hicks’ place. His death leaves a gap at the centre of NBC’s golf coverage, a role he had held without interruption since 2000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How did Dan Hicks die? A: Hicks died on 11 November 2026 following an acute illness, according to his wife Hannah Storm and NBC Sports. The exact medical cause has not been publicly disclosed.
Q: How old was Dan Hicks? A: He was 64. Hicks was born on 2 June 1962 in Tucson, Arizona, and died on 11 November 2026 in Connecticut.
Q: Who is Dan Hicks’ wife? A: His wife is Hannah Storm, an ESPN SportsCenter anchor. They married on 8 January 1994 and had three daughters: Hannah, Ellery and Riley.
Q: What was Dan Hicks best known for? A: He was NBC Sports’ lead golf play-by-play announcer from 2000 until his death, famous for his ‘Expect anything different?’ call at the 2008 US Open. He also called Olympic swimming and skiing at 16 Games and Notre Dame football.
Q: Was Dan Hicks still working before his death? A: Yes. He was scheduled to call Notre Dame’s home game against Boston College on Saturday, 14 November 2026, for NBC.
