Mike Tirico gave an emotional tribute to his longtime NBC colleague Dan Hicks during an appearance on Golf Channel on Thursday.
Tirico described Hicks, who suddenly died at the age of 64 on Wednesday, as a “broadcaster’s broadcaster,” recalling his work calling everything from Olympic triumphs to some of golf’s biggest moments.
“He had more big moments on his plate, and nailed every big moment,” Tirico said. “You can’t think of a big moment that Dan didn’t have the right call, the right energy, the right words.”
Tirico highlighted the large number of iconic Olympic moments that Hicks was behind the mic for.
“Think about every Michael Phelps gold medal won in Olympic swimming, and Dan doing that,” he said. “Think about all the big moments on the hill with all the great U.S. ski athletes at the Olympic Games, and Dan was the voice.”
Tirico also praised Hicks’ ability to bring out the best in his partners in the booth, particularly legendary analysts Johnny Miller and Rowdy Gaines.
“I would say it was never about him,” Tirico said. “… Dan knew exactly what levers to pull. He knew when to let those guys have their moment and not make it about, ‘Hey, let me get in here, partner, and share this with you.’ He set them up brilliantly.”
Hicks died of an “acute illness,” his wife, Hannah Storm, an ESPN/ABC broadcaster, shared on Thursday.
“He was a devoted husband of over 30 years, loving father of our three daughters, and cherished friend to so many. His loss is immeasurable,” Storm said.
“Dan was truly one of a kind, and quite simply, the person everyone wanted to be around. When he walked into a room, he brought the energy, the laughter and the people together. He was endlessly kind, thoughtful and funny, and he made everyone feel like they mattered.”
Hicks had worked for NBC since 1992, spending the past decade alongside Tirico, who joined the network in 2016 after 25 years at ESPN and ABC.
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