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 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.’
Gumbel spent the majority of his broadcasting career with CBS and primarily worked 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 Super Bowl win in 1996
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.
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.
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.
A CBS statement on Friday read: ‘The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel.
Gumbel and Bill Raftery prior to a game between Duke and North Carolina State in 2016
Gumbel sits with Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis, who broadcast on CBS together for years
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.’