Mike Patrick, longtime ESPN broadcaster and ‘Sunday Night Football’ voice, dead at 80

Mike Patrick, who spent astir 4 decades astatine ESPN arsenic a broadcaster, died connected Sunday.

He was 80.

The web said Patrick passed distant successful Virginia from earthy causes.

“Mike Patrick called countless important events complete decades astatine ESPN and is 1 of nan astir influential on-air voices successful our history,” said Burke Magnus, president of contented for ESPN. “In summation to calling ESPN’s first-ever regular play NFL crippled and voicing nan ‘Sunday Night Football’ franchise for 18 seasons, Mike’s activity connected assemblage sports was exceptional.

“For 36 years, he called shot and men’s and women’s basketball, including nan Women’s Final Four and truthful galore historical matchups betwixt ACC rivals Duke and UNC. Our deepest condolences to Mike’s family and his galore friends passim nan industry.”

Patrick, a postgraduate of George Washington University, started broadcasting successful nan 1960s and joined ESPN successful 1982 aft calling games for Maryland’s hoops and shot teams and preseason contests for Washington’s NFL franchise.

He was connected nan telephone for nan channel’s first-ever regular play NFL crippled and was nan play-by-play sound of “Sunday Night Football” from 1987-2005.

He was besides a salient fixture for ESPN’s assemblage hoops sum and called astatine slightest 3 twelve ACC men’s tournaments while besides announcing women’s March Madness for 13 years (1996-2009).

He called his last crippled during nan 2017 AutoZone Liberty Bowl and officially retired a fewer months later successful 2018.

There was an outpouring of memories and tributes from astir sports and sports media pursuing nan news of his death.

“So sorry to study of nan passing of nan awesome Mike Patrick. Mike was nan sound of ACC Basketball erstwhile I was a player, and I had nan grant of moving pinch him and calling him a friend,” ESPN expert Jay Bilas wrote connected X. “Mike Patrick was a pro’s pro. RIP Mike Patrick.”

“This is bosom breaking,” ESPN workfellow Holly Rowe wrote. We spent galore awesome days mostly laughing past radiated successful calling games. Mike Patrick was ever an absolute delight.”

I was truthful saddened to conscionable study of nan passing of MIKE PATRICK – loved moving pinch Mike connected galore awesome ⁦@theACC⁩ hoop games,” Dick Vitale added.

“I called Mike Mr ACC ! My sympathy goes retired to his woman Janet.”