Some voices become part of the memories they help create. For Mikaela Shiffrin, Dan Hicks was one of them. The renowned commentator, who narrated some of the biggest moments of her career, has passed away at 64, leaving the skiing community and the wider sports world mourning an irreplaceable voice.
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Hicks died Wednesday in Connecticut following an acute illness, his wife, longtime broadcaster Hannah Storm, confirmed in an emotional statement. The news came as a shock to those who had followed his 34-year career at NBC Sports. Among them was Shiffrin, who took to X on Thursday to remember the man whose voice had accompanied her Olympic journey from Sochi to Cortina.
“It’s shocking and heartbreaking to hear that Dan Hicks has passed. 💔 Dan Hicks called every one of my Olympic races, from Sochi to Cortina, and his voice is etched into every one of those memories,” Shiffrin wrote.
The American skier also recalled the words Hicks shouted as she crossed the finish line to secure slalom gold at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year. “Just get to the line.” It was a simple call, but one that captured the tension of the moment. Shiffrin said she would hear his voice saying those words forever, adding that ski racing was fortunate to have him.
She also sent her love to Storm, their daughters, and the NBC Olympics family, closing her tribute with a heartfelt thank-you to Hicks.
Shiffrin’s tribute reflected something that went beyond one memorable Olympic performance. Hicks had spent decades giving audiences a front-row seat to sporting history, and his work in skiing was only one part of that legacy.
He joined NBC Sports in June 1992 after working as a sports anchor at CNN. Starting his broadcasting career in Tucson, Arizona, Hicks gradually established himself as one of the network’s most versatile voices. He called 15 Olympic Games, including a record eight in swimming and the last four in Alpine skiing. He also became NBC’s lead golf broadcaster in 2000, spending 26 years as the signature voice of its coverage.
His ability to capture the emotion of a sporting moment made him a familiar presence across several disciplines. At the 2008 U.S. Open, Tiger Woods produced a remarkable putt on the 72nd hole at Torrey Pines to force a playoff against Rocco Mediate. Woods was battling a torn ACL, though the full extent of his injury became clear later. Hicks’ reaction captured the disbelief surrounding the shot: “Expect anything different!”
Just two months later, he was behind the microphone as Michael Phelps completed his historic eight-gold-medal campaign at the Beijing Olympics. Hicks also called all 28 of Phelps’ Olympic medal events between 2004 and 2016. His commentary during the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay remains particularly memorable. As Jason Lezak chased down France’s Alain Bernard in the final stretch, Hicks’ excitement rose with the American swimmer.
“Unbelievable at the end! He’s done it! The US has done it!” he exclaimed as Lezak completed the stunning comeback. Those moments explain why the loss has resonated across sports. Hicks also called Notre Dame football, NBA and NFL games, as well as the French Open. This fall marked his seventh season as Notre Dame’s play-by-play voice, and he had been scheduled to call the team’s game against Boston College on Saturday.
But with Hicks no longer able to take his place in the commentary booth, NBC had to make a last-minute change to its broadcast team. The network named Jason Benetti as the play-by-play announcer for Saturday’s Notre Dame-Boston College matchup. According to On3’s Kyle Kelly, Notre Dame listed Benetti for the NBC telecast in a November 12 post on X.
Benetti had already joined NBC’s lineup earlier this season to call Big Ten games. He also serves as the Detroit Lions’ preseason play-by-play announcer and the full-season voice of the Detroit Tigers. Kelly praised Benetti’s professionalism but acknowledged the difficult task ahead, writing, “Benetti is a true professional and has huge shoes to fill. Hicks will be deeply missed.”
A colleague and friend remembered beyond the microphone
The tributes following Hicks’ death have highlighted the person behind the familiar voice. NBC Sports executives Rick Cordella, Sam Flood, and Molly Solomon described him as an extraordinary colleague, friend, and storyteller who elevated some of sport’s biggest occasions.
They praised his knowledge, enthusiasm, style, and humor but stressed that his warmth away from the microphone mattered just as much. Hicks, they said, welcomed teammates with a smile, a joke, or a word of encouragement. Their statement also extended heartfelt condolences to Storm and their daughters, Hannah, Ellery, and Riley.
Storm’s own words offered a glimpse into the loss felt by the family. She said Hicks died following an acute illness and remembered him as a devoted husband of more than 30 years and a loving father to their three daughters. Describing him as someone who brought energy, laughter, and people together, she wrote that their loss was immeasurable.
His longtime Olympic swimming partner, Rowdy Gaines, also struggled to put the loss into words. Gaines, an Olympic gold medalist who shared eight Games with Hicks in the commentary booth, called him one of his closest friends and the glue that held the team together. He remembered the laughter, trust, and friendship they shared beyond the pool deck.
Other familiar names from sport joined in. Tiger Woods described Hicks as a great friend both on and off the course, while ESPN personality Jay Bilas remembered him as one of the kindest and most genuine people in the business. U.S. Ski & Snowboard also paid tribute, saying his unmistakable voice had become part of the fabric of Alpine racing for generations of fans.
Away from the broadcast booth, Hicks’ final Instagram post offered a quieter picture of the man his colleagues and viewers had come to know. Shared on October 11, it celebrated daughter Riley’s finish at the Chicago Marathon, her third major marathon in 18 months. Hicks praised her determination in the hot conditions and her new personal record, writing, “Our girl did it again.”
The post included photographs of Riley running, celebrating with her medal and flowers, and posing with her family. It was a proud father’s moment, shared just weeks before his sudden passing.
For Shiffrin, Hicks will forever be tied to the Olympic finish lines that shaped her career. For millions of viewers, his voice will remain attached to sporting moments they will never forget. And for those who knew him away from the cameras, the loss is far more personal than the end of a remarkable broadcasting career.