Legendary American sportscaster 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 aired by CBS Sports.
'Greg approached his illness as you would expect him to, with stoicism, grace and positivity.
'He leaves a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication for more than 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry; and her iconic voice will never be forgotten.”
Gumbel spent most of his television career at CBS and worked primarily in the NFL and college basketball.
He became the first black Super Bowl play-by-play announcer in 2001, when he was in the booth during the Baltimore Ravens' victory over the New York Giants.
Legendary American sportscaster 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 broadcast faces of the NCAA Tournament, the biggest annual event in college sports.
However, he missed an NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997 earlier this year due to “family health issues.”
Gumbel was tasked with reading where each of the NCAA Tournament teams stood in his iconic style of reading the mascots first.
Gumbel would never call a blue blood Duke Blue Devils. Instead, he always called them Duke's Blue Devils.
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 statement from CBS on Friday read: “The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel.
“There has never been a finer gentleman in 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 sits down with Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis, who have broadcast together on CBS for years
'A talented broadcaster and storyteller, Greg led one of the most notable and innovative sports broadcasting careers of all time.
'He was a familiar and welcoming voice to fans of 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.
“Greg will be greatly missed and our deepest condolences go to his wife Marcy, daughter Michelle and his entire family.”