Dec. 28 (UPI) — Greg Gumbel, a versatile sportscaster at CBS and NBC for 35 years, died of cancer at 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 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.”
Gumbel, who covered baseball, basketball, football and the Olympics, is best known as a studio host for CBS’s NCAA men’s basketball since 1998, and as an announcer and studio host for The NFL Today from 1990-93, also on CBS.
“Greg Gumbel was broadcasting royalty,” fellow CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz said in a statement. “He was as selfless a broadcaster as anyone in the industry has ever known. Our careers intersected for nearly 35 years, and he was the consummate teammate and friend. There’s not a member of the CBS Sports family who doesn’t have a sweet or kind memory of Greg. I have so much love and respect for him, and I’m going to miss him dearly.”
In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA tournament due to what he said at the time were family health issues.
He also was the play-by-play announcer for the NFL, including serving as the No. 1 game announcer the Super Bowl XXV in 2001. He was the first Black announcer in the United States to call a major sports championship.
Gumbel signed an extension with CBS in 2023 that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball whil not doing NFL announcing duties.
“The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel. There has never been a finer gentleman in all of television. He was beloved and respected by those of us who had the honor to call him a friend and colleague,” David Berson, the president & CEO of CBS Sports, said in a statement.
“A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time. He was a familiar and welcoming voice for fans across many sports, including the NFL and March Madness, highlighted by the Super Bowl and Final Four,” Berson said.
“Greg broke barriers and set the standard for others to follow. It is an extremely sad day for all of us at CBS Sports and the entire sports community. We will miss Greg dearly, and send our deepest condolences to his wife Marcy, daughter Michelle, and his entire family.”
He had two stints with CBS.
Gumbel joined CBS Sports in 1989 after years of hosting and play-play duties for New York Knicks basketball and New York Yankees baseball for the Madison Square Garden Network, MSGN programs, ESPN, WMAQ-TV Chicago and WFAN Radio in New York City.
He was primetime anchor of CBS Sports’ coverage of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games and as co-anchor of the network’s weekday morning broadcasts of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games.
Gumbel also was play-by-play announcer for regular-season and post-season Major League Baseball, host of the 1990 MLB All-Star Game, college football broadcasts for CBS Sports, and host and play-by-play announcer for the College World Series.
When CBS lost the rights to NFL games in 1994, he went to NBC where he was host of The NFL on NBC pre-game show and NBC’s Super Bowl pre-game shows in 1996 and 1998.
Also, he hosted the pre-game show for the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and was a play-by-play announcer on NBC’s Baseball Night in America. And he did play-by-play for The NBA on NBC and hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta.
He went back to CBS Sports in 1998.
In 2011, CBS reached an agreement to show NCAA men’s basketball tournament games with Warner Brothers on TNT, TBS and truTV, along with CBS.
He split anchor duties with Ernie Johnson.
“The news that Greg Gumbel has passed is just heartbreaking,” Johnson wrote in a social media post. “Was an honor to share the March Madness desk with him. A pro’s pro and a gentleman of the highest order.”
His fellow commentators from the two companies included Charles Barkley, Kenney Smith, Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis.
“For close to 25 years, I enjoyed and was richly blessed by Greg’s friendship, goodness, humor, partnership, professionalism and wisdom,” Kellogg said in a statement. “He was excellent in his work and exemplary in his caring and character. Like all who knew and loved him, I too am saddened by his death, yet also so very grateful to have known him in my life. What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner. My deepest condolences to the entire Gumbel family.”
Gumbel is the older brother of 76-year-old Bryant Gumbel, also sportscaster, including hosting the Olympics is in 1988 in Tokyo, and and co-host of NBC’s Today for 15 years starting in 1982 and co-host of the network’s morning show The Early Show from 1999 to 2002.
Greg Gumbel lived in Davie, Fla.. He born in New Orleans in 1946 and grew up in Chicago.
In 1967, Gumbel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Loras College in Dubueque, Iowa.
