Greg Gumbel, the popular CBS broadcaster who spent decades on the airwaves covering a multitude of sports, died Friday. He was 78 years old.
His family revealed in a statement to CBS News that he died after a battle with cancer:
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel. He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer. Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace, and positivity.
He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.
Greg’s memory will forever be treasured by his family, dearest friends, colleagues and all who loved him. — Marcy & Michelle Gumbel
CBS Sports also released a statement praising Gumbel’s impact on the world of sports.
For more than two decades, Gumbel was a regular in CBS’s coverage in both the NFL and college basketball, always providing a welcoming face in either the broadcast booth or the studio host’s chair. He retired from NFL coverage in 2022, but continued handling the college hoops side of the job until this year.
Gumbel stepped away from covering the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with “family health issues” presented as the reason why.
A New Orleans native and baseball player at Loras College, Gumbel was selling hospital supplies when his younger brother Bryant, a legendary journalist and broadcaster in his own right, told him about a weekend sportscaster opening at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. He auditioned and got the job. staying there until ESPN came calling in 1981. He worked as a “SportsCenter” anchor during the network’s early days, then found further stints at MSG Network, CBS and NBC before returning to CBS.
Among the milestones of Gumbel’s career is being the first Black person to call play-by-play in a major American sports championship, having taken the microphone for Super Bowl XXXV in 2001.
There are few popular American sports that Gumbel hadn’t spent at least some time in. Beyond the NFL and college basketball, he called MLB games for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and NBC. He called NBA games for ESPN, NBC and CBS. He did the Winter Olympics, NASCAR and the World Figure Skating Championships.
It was the kind of career that every young sports broadcaster dreams about, going from pioneer to legend with fans always happy to see him on their television.