Legendary Voice Silenced: Kirk Herbstreit's Emotional Farewell to a College Football Icon

In sports broadcasting, voices become more than just narrators; they are the heartbeat of the game, the soothing or electrifying echo that sports fans often shed a tear to hear. There’s something uniquely touching when a familiar voice, like that of Mike Patrick, which once filled the room with anticipation and excitement, falls silent. His passing sends ripples through the sports community, particularly touching the life of Kirk Herbstreit, the voice that now, in a poignant irony, brings us this news. Yet, life continues to unfold, as Herstreit knows it must, navigating not only his grief but also the labor of love that is his dual role in our living rooms: as a conduit between athletes on the field who have no wives beside them and the eager families waiting at home to hear the fate of their loved ones.

Today, while we share the also reflect on a more life-affirming note through the lens of a video featuring none other than Kirk Herbreit’s wife. LEARN MORE.

Kirk Herbstreit is mourning the death of a longtime college football announcer this week.

The legendary ESPN college football announcer, who also covers the National Football League for Amazon Prime, is mourning the loss of a beloved figure in the sports announcing world.

Mike Patrick, a longtime play-by-play man for ESPN, has died. Patrick was the voice of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football” for 18 years. He also did plenty of college basketball and college football broadcasts. 

“Mike Patrick called countless significant events over decades at ESPN and is one of the most influential on-air voices in our history,” Burke Magnus, president of content for ESPN, said in a statement. “In addition to calling ESPN’s first-ever regular season NFL game and voicing the ‘Sunday Night Football’ franchise for 18 seasons, Mike’s work on college sports was exceptional. 

“For 36 years, he called football and men’s and women’s basketball, including the Women’s Final Four and so many historic matchups between ACC rivals Duke and UNC. Our deepest condolences to Mike’s family and his many friends throughout the industry.”

Herbstreit, one of the faces of ESPN, is deeply saddened by his passing.

“Very sorry to hear this news. Always enjoyed listening to Mike on a call. Had such a unique and familiar voice. He will be missed. Best to Mikes family,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this week.

Very sorry to hear this news. Always enjoyed listening to Mike on a call. Had such a unique and familiar voice. He will be missed. Best to Mikes family. 🙏🏼 https://t.co/yJqBFBbN7G

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) April 23, 2025

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale is deeply saddened, too.

“I’m so sorry to learn about the passing of Mike Patrick. I called him Mr. ACC as he had a great love for doing the big ACC games,” Vitale said Tuesday. “Mike had great energy and a keen knowledge of ACC basketball, and I truly enjoyed sitting next to him calling so many special games over the years.”

Our thoughts are with his friends and family members.