Greg Gumbel, a veteran of CBS Sports who spent more than 50 years in sports broadcasting, has 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 Gumbel, and daughter, Michelle Gumbel, 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.”
In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS 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 back 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 Greg Gumbel as breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness.
“A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time,” Berson said.
Gumbel joined ESPN in 1981, serving as an anchor for “SportsCenter” in addition to contributing to ESPN’s early NBA coverage during his time with the network through 1986.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Greg Gumbel’s passing,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Greg was a highly accomplished and pioneering figure in sports broadcasting who brought instant credibility to ESPN in the early years of the network as both a SportsCenter anchor and as a key on-air contributor to our initial NBA coverage in the 1980s.
“We send out deepest condolences to the Gumbel family and to Greg’s many colleagues and friends, including his CBS Sports family.”
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Greg Gumbel’s passing. Greg was a highly accomplished and pioneering figure in sports broadcasting who brought instant credibility to ESPN in the early years of the network as both a SportsCenter anchor and as a key on-air contributor to our initial NBA coverage in the 1980s. We send out deepest condolences to the Gumbel family and to Greg’s many colleagues and friends, including his CBS Sports family.”
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro
Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998.
He hosted CBS’ coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. In 1995, he hosted the World Figure Skating Championships and the following year hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta.
But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest 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 role after the 2022 season.
“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,” Clark Kellogg, a CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst, said in a statement. “What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner.”
Gumbel, the older brother of sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a degree in English. He won local Emmy Awards during his long career and was the recipient of the 2007 Pat Summerall Award 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 trustees. He also was a member of the Sports Council for St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for 16 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
