Legendary American sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel has died of cancer at the age of 78.
“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 as you would expect, with stoicism, grace and positivity.
“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication over more than 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.”
Gumbel spent most of his broadcasting career at CBS, working primarily on the NFL and college basketball.
He became the first black play-by-play announcer for a Super Bowl in 2001, when he was in the booth for the Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the New York Giants.
Legendary American sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel has died at the age of 78
Gumbel interviews Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after their 1996 Super Bowl victory
Gumbel was also one of the faces of the NCAA Tournament, the largest annual college sporting event.
However, earlier this year he missed an NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997 due to “family health issues.”
Gumbel was tasked with reading where each of the NCAA Tournament teams fell in the brackets with his iconic style of reading the mascots first.
Gumbel would never call a blue blood the Duke Blue Devils. Instead, he always called them the Blue Devils of Duke.
Gumbel also served as an anchor on ‘SportsCenter’ when he worked at ESPN from 1979 to 1988. He also had a brief stint at NBC.
A CBS statement on Friday read: “The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel.
“There’s never been a finer gentleman on all of television. He was loved and respected by those of us who had the honor of calling him a friend and colleague.
Gumbel and Bill Raftery before a game between Duke and North Carolina State in 2016
Gumbel is paired with Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis, who broadcast together on CBS for years
“A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time.
“He was a trusted and welcoming voice for fans in many sports, including the NFL and March Madness, highlighted by the Super Bowl and Final Four.
“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.”