Legendary sportscaster Greg Gumbel has died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer

Greg Gamble, the longtime CBS sportscaster who broke barriers during his career broadcasting some of sports’ biggest events, has died of cancer, according to a statement from the family released by the network on Friday.

“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry, and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” his wife, Marcy Gumbel, and daughter, Michelle Gumbel, said in a statement.

In March, Gamble missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues.

Gumbel has been the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties.

In 2001, he announced Super Bowl 35 for CBS, becoming the first black broadcaster in the United States to call play-by-play of a major sports tournament.

David Pearson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gamble as someone who broke barriers and set the standard for others during his years as a voice for sports fans, including the NFL and March Madness.

“Greg was a remarkable broadcaster and a gifted storyteller, who led one of the most remarkable and pioneering sports radio careers of all time,” Pearson said.

Hosting coverage of the Winter Olympics in 1992 and 1994

Gamble had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost the Football League in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998.

He hosted CBS’s coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during their four-year broadcast for national entertainment. In 1995, he hosted the World Figure Skating Championships, and the following year he hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

But it was football and basketball where he became famous and had his greatest impact. Gamble hosted CBS’ NFL studio show NFL Today From 1990 to 1993, and again in 2004-2005.

Earlier this year, Gamble was tipped to replace Brent Musburger as host NFL Today In 1990, he described it as frightening and stressful.

“The fact that I sat in the same chair and did the same thing or tried to do the same thing that he did was an incredible honor,” he said.

Gamble also called NFL games as the network’s lead broadcaster from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl 35 and 38. He returned to the NFL wing in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season.

“Like everyone who knew and loved him. I am also saddened by his passing, but also very grateful to have known him in my life,” Clark Kellogg, a CBS Sports college basketball analyst and studio analyst, said in a statement. “What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner.”

Gamble was the older brother of Bryant Gamble, an NBC host today Show and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel On HBO. Bryant Gumbel received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Emmys in 2003.

Greg Gumbel grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a degree in English. He intended to become an English teacher, but he auditioned for WMAQ-TV, an NBC affiliate in Chicago, in 1973 after his brother joined sports broadcasting, according to the book. You Look Alive!: How Today’s NFL Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting. He was soon offered the position of weekend sportscaster.

“I’m kind of surprised I got the job. I certainly wasn’t a polished person,” he said in the book. “By my own estimation, it took me a good year to start feeling comfortable in front of the camera.”

Gamble has also worked for ESPN and the Madison Square Garden Network.

James Brown, who is currently hosting NFL Todaydescribed Gamble on Friday as “Mr. Versatile and also very TV-y.”

“It was a pleasure to call him a friend and someone who would do anything given to him in the wake of the mission,” he added.

Gamble has won local Emmy Awards during his long career and was the recipient of the 2007 Pat Summerall Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting.

Outside of his career as a sportscaster, he has been affiliated with the March of Dimes for three decades, including as a member of its Board of Trustees. He was also a member of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Sports Council for 16 years.