There are times when sports broadcasting stops you in the middle of a thought. One of those times was November 11, 2026. For more than 30 years, Dan Hicks’ calm, authoritative voice led millions of golf fans through Sunday afternoons at Augusta, Pebble Beach, and Carnoustie.
He died suddenly at the age of 64. In a statement, his wife, ESPN anchor Hannah Storm, confirmed the news and said that he had died of an “acute illness.” There may not have been anything else she could say because she didn’t give any more information. There are times when losses are hard to understand.
With more than 30 years of experience, Hicks was one of NBC Sports’ longest-running on-air personalities. He hosted and called some of the network’s biggest sporting events. That’s not something for a resume; that’s a lifetime of work. He had been there during Tiger’s reign, every unlikely comeback on Sunday, and every TV show about professional golf in the modern era. Then all of a sudden, he wasn’t.
Before coming to NBC, Hicks had worked as a sports anchor for CNN since 1989. He started his career in 1984 as a news and sports anchor for Tucson’s KCEE/KWFM radio station. He later moved to KVOA-TV, which is an NBC affiliate. If you watched the U.S. Open in June 2024, it’s possible that not many people would have thought of the small-market radio gigs, the local TV affiliates, or the slow climb.
The arc was real, though. Hicks grew up in Tucson in the Indian Ridge neighborhood and went to Sabino High School. He started his career in broadcasting as the public address announcer for UA women’s basketball games, which paid $25 an hour. $25.00. Somehow, the number sounds like a poem.
Focus and determination were very important to Hicks’s career. NBC Sports saw how professional, funny, and at ease he was on camera. One of Hicks’ biggest childhood dreams came true when the network hired him as a play-by-play announcer in 1992. Over the years, he would sometimes talk about that dream in an open and honest way that most TV actors learn to avoid. He always seemed to think of it as a huge stroke of luck, suggesting that he knew it was.
Since 2000, he has been the host and play-by-play commentator for NBC Sports’ golf coverage. This means that American viewers heard his voice when Phil Mickelson finally won at Augusta in 2004, when Rory McIlroy fell apart and then came back strong, and when Hicks himself had to find words for moments that didn’t have any.
Not just technical broadcasting skills are needed for that; you also need to be emotionally intelligent. Being aware of when to talk and when to keep quiet is important. Tom Roy, the lead golf producer for NBC Sports, once said, “Dan is a great host because he loves the game, knows a lot about golf history, and is fun to talk to. People enjoy listening to Dan.” That is easy to understand and true. A lot of people liked hearing him. It seems like a no-brainer until you learn how uncommon it is.
His death happened a little more than a week after his wife, Hannah Storm, told everyone that she had been diagnosed with a second type of cancer. There’s something cruel about the timing that’s hard to explain. Storm was also having health problems, and the couple had been photographed sitting still, smiling, and present at a breast cancer research event in New York just a few months before. Now the picture seems different.
NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Olympics won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event. Hicks was a part of that coverage. He had also just returned to calling Notre Dame football games for NBC, a job that had always been special to him because Storm is a graduate of Notre Dame. Everyone thought that his last season on TV would be one of his best. That’s not really a comforting thought. It’s not a sad story, though. He was still working and bringing something interesting to watch.
In 2026, Dan Hicks had worked at NBC Sports for 35 years, which he thought was a big deal. At age 30, he had the same thought. There’s a certain kind of professional longevity that shows not only skill but also character: the ability to keep showing up and caring through every format change, ratings shift, and disruption in the industry. Hicks did that for fifty years of broadcasting. Not many people do.
There is some respect in the fact that the details of his illness have not been made public. His family asked to be left alone. What they said made it clear how heavy it was: a husband of more than 30 years and father of three daughters, gone without a word; his wife said it was sudden and out of the blue. In medicine, “acute” just means “fast onset,” or something that comes on quickly and without warning. It doesn’t really offer comfort. A simple group.
The consistency is what stays with you as you watch replays and read tributes that came out just hours after the news. The same friendliness he showed at the first event he ever called at the Players Championship. “As they work, announcers tend to find their niche, which is the sport they do best,” Hicks said. “Golf is my thing.” It was found. He didn’t give up. Over 35 years, he never made it feel like it was the same thing. That is something that is hard to get again. Yes, the voice. But there was something more: the feeling that the person who wrote it really meant it.
FAQs
1. What illness did Dan Hicks die from?
He died following an acute illness; the specific condition was never publicly disclosed.
2. How old was Dan Hicks when he died?
He was 64 years old at the time of his death.
3. Who announced Dan Hicks’ death?
His wife, ESPN anchor Hannah Storm, confirmed his sudden passing.
4. How long did Dan Hicks work at NBC Sports?
He spent 35 years at NBC Sports, joining the network in 1992.
5. What was Dan Hicks best known for broadcasting?
He was NBC’s lead golf play-by-play voice for over two decades.