Greg Gumbel, longtime sports broadcaster, dies at age 78

CNN
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Greg Gumbel, a longtime sports broadcaster described as “broadcasting royalty,” has died after a battle with cancer, his wife and daughter announced in a statement shared by CBS Sports on X. He was 78.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel,” the statement read. “He died peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer.”

The Gumbels said Greg, who was a CBS Sports studio host and play-by-play announcer, including five Super Bowls and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for 25 years, faced his illness with “stoicism, grace and positivity.”

“He was universally liked,” broadcaster Bob Costas told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “He was consistently excellent at his job.”

CBS Sports said in a statement that it is “devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel.”

“There has never been a finer gentleman in all of television. He was loved and respected by those of us who had the honor of calling him a friend and colleague,” David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, said in the statement.

There was an outpouring of support for Gumbel on Friday, with Harold Bryant, CBS Sports executive producer and executive vice president of production, calling the late announcer a “role model and a pioneer” in a statement.

“He broke barriers as one of the few black broadcasters covering sports at the highest level. He set a high bar for others to follow. His work was impeccable as he became one of the most respected broadcasters stations in the industry,” Bryant said.

“Whether it was play-by-play, studio host or interviewing elite athletes, Greg was as smooth and trustworthy as could be. Greg loved his family, loved The Rolling Stones and loved CBS. He treated everyone with respect and gratitude. Greg – you will be missed,” Bryant’s statement continued.

Clark Kellogg, a college basketball analyst for CBS and a former professional basketball player, said he enjoyed nearly 25 years of Gumbel’s “friendship, kindness, humor, partnership, professionalism and wisdom.”

“He was excellent in his work and exemplary in his care and character,” Kellogg said in a statement.

Sports announcer Jim Nantz, who said his career had intersected with Gumbel’s for nearly 35 years, described the late host as “as selfless a broadcaster as anyone in the business has ever known” in a statement.

“Greg Gumbel broadcast royalty,” Nantz said.

“There isn’t a member of the CBS Sports family who doesn’t have a fond or kind memory of Greg. I have so much love and respect for him, and I’m going to miss him dearly,” Nantz continued.

In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA tournament appearance since 1997 because of what he said at the time were family issues, the Associated Press reported.

Last year, he signed an extension with CBS that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties, according to the AP.

Born May 3, 1946, in New Orleans, Gumbel grew up in Chicago, according to a biography from CBS News.

In January 1998, Gumbel returned to CBS Sports as a play-by-play announcer and host after previously working for the network from October 1989 to May 1994, according to the biography.

Gumbel first left CBS for NBC when it lost its football coverage in 1994 and returned four years later when it regained the contract, according to the AP.

Before joining CBS, Gumbel hosted the NBA’s New York Knicks and MLB’s New York Yankees for the Madison Square Garden Network, according to CBS.

His career, which spanned more than 50 years, also included anchoring ESPN’s SportsCenter while working with the network for more than five years hosting the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and CBS football’s “The NFL Today.” The Hollywood Reporter reported.

The three times local The Emmy Award winner was a CBS Sports primetime anchor for coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympics and co-anchored CBS’ weekday morning telecasts of the 1992 Winter Olympics, according to CBS.

The older brother of sportscaster and host Bryant Gumbel, Greg Gumbel, was awarded the Pat Summerall Award for Sports Broadcasting Excellence in 2007, according to the AP.

He was associated with the March of Dimes for three decades, including as a member of its board of directors, and served as a member of the Sports Council for St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for 16 years, the AP reported.

Gumbel celebrated 50 years of broadcasting in 2022, CBS reported.

This story has been updated with additional information.