Greg Gumbel on NCAA Tournament coverage in 2021. Greg Gumbel ahead of the NCAA Tournament national championship game in 2021. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports.)

Following Friday’s announcement of the passing of famed broadcaster Greg Gumbel at 78 after a battle with cancer, there have been a lot of tributes to him from across the sports world. Those have included comments from broadcasters at Fox, NFL Network, ESPN, and many more places.

But Gumbel was especially known for his two stints with CBS, from 1988-1994 and 1998-present. Those saw him work on everything from the NFL on CBS to March Madness to the Olympics, NBA, MLB, college football, and beyond. And that network put out quite the tribute video to Gumbel Saturday:

Also, CBS Sports sent out statements from five notable executives and broadcasters on Gumbel. Here are those:

President and CEO David Berson: “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 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.”

Executive producer and executive vice president, production Harold Bryant: “Greg was a role model and a pioneer. He broke barriers being one of the few Black broadcasters covering sports at the highest levels. He set a high bar for others to follow. His work was beyond reproach as he became one of the most respected broadcasters in the industry. Whether it was play-by-play, studio host, or interviewing elite athletes, Greg was as smooth and trustworthy as could be. Greg loved his family, loved The Rolling Stones, and loved CBS. He treated everybody with respect and gratitude. Greg – you will be missed.”

College basketball analyst Clark Kellogg: “For close to 25 years, I enjoyed and was richly blessed by Greg’s friendship, goodness, humor, partnership, professionalism and wisdom. He was excellent in his work and exemplary in his caring and character. Like all who knew and loved him, I too am saddened by his death, yet also so very grateful to have known him in my life. What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner. My deepest condolences to the entire Gumbel family.”

Lead NFL broadcaster Jim Nantz: “Greg Gumbel was broadcasting royalty. He was as selfless a broadcaster as anyone in the industry has ever known. Our careers intersected for nearly 35 years, and he was the consummate teammate and friend. There’s not a member of the CBS Sports family who doesn’t have a sweet or kind memory of Greg. I have so much love and respect for him, and I’m going to miss him dearly.”

Trailblazing reporter Lesley Visser: “Everyone in sports television is heartbroken. Greg was foundational to CBS, the straight-man with the light touch. He loved all the men and women of CBS; we were blessed with his rare humanity.”

CBS college basketball broadcaster Seth Davis, who worked alongside Gumbel for many years on March Madness coverage, also wrote an in-depth remembrance at his Hoops HQ site. Here are a few highlights from that piece, which is well worth reading in full:

There are some people that we work with that we get really close to. They are wonderful relationships that are professional yet intimate. Then there are those precious few who are our closest friends. We know everything about each other, including the really uncomfortable secrets. It is rare to have someone who populates both lists, but Greg Gumbel was that for me. Same with Clark Kellogg. The three of us sat at that desk in Studio 43 for two decades and became brothers. I’d like to believe the viewers could tell.

…When Greg got some tough medical news late last year, the only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to keep it quiet. He didn’t want the attention, the fuss, the distraction of everyone knowing. “I have no illusions about this,” he told me as he started treatment. “We’re going to give it a shot. It will either work or it won’t.” For those who knew and loved him — and there are so many of us — his passing leaves a void too vast to contemplate. I hope my life will always be good, but it will never be quite as good without Greg in it.

I’ve known for a while that this day was probably coming, but now that it’s here, I can hardly believe it. Greg leaves behind a legacy that is virtually unparalleled in the sports broadcast business. He worked in multiple places at the highest levels, calling Super Bowls and Final Fours and countless games in between. If you watched him on TV and thought, “He seems like a great guy,” I’m here to tell you that you were right. You can’t be in front of a camera for that many hours over that many years and hide who you really are. And even if you could, Greg would have never tried.

That’s because he knew that life is short and laughter is vital. He figured that if you showed up, tried your best and treated people well, then nothing else mattered. He was a unique talent, a treasured friend and the kindest man I have ever known.

May his memory be a blessing.

The amount of tributes to Gumbel illustrate what a remarkable impact he had. And, as these tributes show, he’ll be heavily missed by many in the sports world, at CBS and beyond.

[CBS Sports on X, Hoops HQ]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.