Copyright Athlon Sports
Dick Vitale has been one of the biggest and most well-known personalities in the sports media industry for decades. ESPN launched in September 1979, and Vitale joined the network as a college basketball analyst during the 1979-80 season. He has been with the worldwide leader in sports since then, serving as ESPN’s top analyst in college basketball for years. The 86-year-old, who hails from New Jersey, was a basketball coach before his time on television began. He started coaching at the high-school level in New Jersey before moving on to an assistant position at Rutgers University. In 1973, Vitale took the head coaching position at the University of Detroit, where he had a 78-30 record in four seasons, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in his final year. He then took the vacant head coaching job for the Detroit Pistons, where he lasted just over one year. After being fired from the Pistons, his illustrious broadcasting career began. Vitale has been on the call for over 1,000 games, including the first-ever major NCAA game on ESPN between Wisconsin and DePaul in 1979. While he is known for his charismatic personality, his iconic phrases like “Up, up and away, baby,” “Get a TO, baby,” and “PTP’er” (prime-time player), he has also been an incredible person off the court and in the community. This week, Vitale announced on his social media that he was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the Elmwood Park Athletic Hall of Fame, which is where he grew up. This announcement drew congratulations from his fans around the college basketball world. “Wooooooowwww!!!! Congratulations Dick! That’s Fantastic!!! #jerseyboys 🏀 🏀 🏀 🏀,” commented one person. “Congratulations Coach 💪🏼,” wrote another. “Very deserving, God Bless Coach V!” the comments continued. “Congrats,” chimed in one more. Over the summer, Vitale signed a new contract with ESPN that will keep him with the network through the 2027-28 season. As the college basketball season starts next week, this accomplishment adds to the ever-growing list of accolades for the all-time great.
