Greg Gumbel, the historic sportscaster and older brother of fellow sports journalist Bryant Gumbel, has died. He was 78.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel. He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” his family confirmed to CBS News on Friday. “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,” Marcy and Michelle Gumbel’s statement continued. “Greg’s memory will forever be treasured by his family, dearest friends, colleagues and all who loved him.”
The TV legend most known for covering NFL football and NCAA college basketball was born May 3, 1946, in New Orleans. Greg got his start in sports media as the announcer for WMAQ in Chicago, in part thanks to his brother’s suggestion.
Before his historic tenure at CBS Sports, he worked for ESPN with “SportsCenter” and covered both the 1992 and ’94 Winter Olympics for NBC, in addition to many other notable sporting events with multiple networks.
Greg hosted Super Bowls in 1992, ’96 and ’98, and called the big games in 2001 and ’04. As part of Super Bowl XXXV, he became the first Black person to provide play-by-play for a major sports championship, per CBS.
His contract with CBS Sports was renewed through the 2024 season, though he missed this year’s March Madness due to a previously undisclosed health issue within the family.
Greg is survived by his wife Marcy, his daughter Michelle and his brother Bryant.
