Dick Vitale, also referred to as “Dickie V”, is an American sports commentator for basketball. With experience as a previous coach in both college and professional leagues, he is most recognized for his 41-year career as a broadcaster for college basketball on ESPN.
Early Life & Education
In 1939, Dick Vitale was born and raised in Garfield, New Jersey, with his parents John and Mae. John worked as a clothing press operator and security guard, while Mae held a job as a seamstress at a factory.
During his teenage years, Vitale was a student at East Rutherford High School. He then pursued higher education at Seton Hall University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later completed a master’s degree in education at William Paterson University.
Vitale began his coaching career in 1958 when he was hired as a coach at an elementary school in Garfield, New Jersey. He then advanced to coaching at the high school level, taking on the role of head coach at Garfield High School for a single season.
After that, he returned to his former high school, East Rutherford High, where he went on to guide his teams to two state championships in New Jersey. During his tenure at the school from 1964 to 1971, he amassed an impressive record of 131 wins and 47 losses.
Dick Vitale’s Career
In 1971, Dick Vitale joined Rutgers University as an assistant coach, serving under head coach Dick Lloyd. Two years later, he left Rutgers to become the head coach at the University of Detroit. Under his leadership, the team made it to the 32-team NCAA tournament in 1977.
During his tenure at Detroit, Vitale’s record was 78-30, highlighted by a 21-game winning streak in the ’77 season. As a result of his accomplishments, he was promoted to the role of athletic director at the university.
In 1978, Vitale made the transition to the professional leagues. He served as the coach for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons for the ’78-’79 season, leading the team to a record of 30-52.
Despite this, in late 1979, during a difficult start for the Pistons, owner Bill Davidson informed Vitale of the team’s decision to replace him as coach.
After leaving the Pistons, Vitale took a TV gig at ESPN with the idea of doing it temporarily until he landed another coaching job. In December 1979, he called ESPN’s first college basketball game with Joe Boyle. DePaul beat Wisconsin 90-77.
Dick Vitale had trouble adjusting to broadcasting. He missed meetings and talked over commercials. Despite this, his employers believed in him. Vitale realized his impact during the 1983 Final Four when fans asked for his autograph.
In 1985, ABC bought ESPN, and Vitale began broadcasting for them. He covered every televised Duke vs. North Carolina game from 1979 to 2015. By 2005, he was calling 40 games a year. In 2002, he called a prep game featuring future NBA star LeBron James.
In 2009, Dick Vitale called his first NBA game on TV since 1984. It was between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets. That year, he reached a milestone of calling around 1,000 games.
As a color commentator, he usually works with Mike Patrick for ACC games and Dan Shulman for Saturday primetime and other non-ACC games. During the postseason, Dick Vitale is an in-studio analyst with Rece Davis. Over the years, he’s worked with big names like Roger Twibell, Brent Musburger, Jim Simpson, Mike Tirico, and Brad Nessler.
Vitale has done many product endorsements, appearing in commercials for brands like DiGiorno, Oberto, GEICO, Hooters, and Taco Bell. He’s also been in movies, usually playing himself as a sports commentator.
Some of his movie credits include “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”, “Blue Chips”, “Jury Duty”, “He Got Game”, “Love & Basketball”, and “Home of the Giants.”
Dick Vitale is a prolific author. His first book was “Vitale” in 1988. Other books include “Time Out Baby!”, “Dickie V’s Top 40 All-Everything Teams”, “Holding Court”, “Campus Chaos”, and “The Lost Season”.
In 2004, he released his autobiography, “Living a Dream”, with Dick Weiss. It includes thoughts on his experiences with ESPN, the Pistons, and memories of coach Jim Valvano.
Personal Life
Since 1971, Dick Vitale and Lorraine McGrath have been happily married. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Sherri and Terri, and have five grandchildren thanks to them. Some of Vitale’s well-liked non-NBA teams are the Rays, Lightning, and Buccaneers, all hailing from Tampa Bay.
Net Worth
Dick Vitale, a former NBA and college coach, is a well-known American basketball commentator with a net worth of $20 million. He spent 40 years as an ESPN broadcaster for college basketball, earning recognition for his lively comments and distinct catchphrases. Additionally, Vitale has written several books and made appearances in films.
