Greg Gumbel, a CBS Sports veteran who spent more than 50 years in sports broadcasting, died of cancer at the age of 78, his family said Friday.
“He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” his wife Marcy and daughter Michelle said in a joint statement released by CBS Sports. “Greg approached his illness as you would expect him to, with stoicism, grace and positivity.
“He leaves a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication over more than 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.”
In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was CBS' studio host since returning to the network from NBC in 1998.
He signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping away from NFL announcing duties.
In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS, becoming the first black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship.
David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as someone who broke barriers and set standards for others during his years as a voice for sports fans, including in the NFL and March Madness.
“A tremendous broadcaster and talented storyteller, Greg led one of the most notable and innovative sports broadcasting careers of all time,” Berson said.
Gumbel joined ESPN in 1981, serving as host of “SportsCenter” and contributing to ESPN's initial NBA coverage during his time at the network until 1986.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Greg Gumbel's passing,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Greg was a pioneering and highly successful figure in sports broadcasting who brought instant credibility to ESPN in the network's early years as host of SportsCenter and as a key on-air contributor to our initial NBA coverage in the 1980s. .
“We send our deepest condolences to the Gumbel family and Greg's many colleagues and friends, including his CBS Sports family.”
Gumbel spent two seasons at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained its contract in 1998.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Greg Gumbel. Greg was a pioneering and highly successful figure in sports broadcasting who brought instant credibility to ESPN in the network's early years as host of SportsCenter and as a key on-air contributor. “To our initial coverage of the NBA in the 1980s. We send our deepest condolences to the Gumbel family and Greg's many colleagues and friends, including his CBS Sports family.”
Jimmy Pitaro, president of ESPN
He hosted CBS' coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during his four years broadcasting the national pastime. In 1995, he hosted the World Figure Skating Championships and the following year he hosted NBC's daytime coverage of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
But it was in football and basketball where he was best known and where he had the greatest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS' NFL studio show, “The NFL Today,” from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004.
He also called NFL games as the network's lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that position after the 2022 season.
“Like everyone who knew and loved him, I, too, am saddened by his passing, but also very grateful to have known him in my life,” Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst, said in a statement. “What a gift to be touched by such a good man and companion.”
Gumbel, the older brother of sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a bachelor's degree in English. He won local Emmy Awards during his long career and received the Pat Summerall Award in 2007 for excellence in sports broadcasting.
Outside of his career as a sportscaster, Gumbel was affiliated with the March of Dimes for three decades, including as a member of its board of directors. He was also a member of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Sports Council for 16 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
