Mike Patrick | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Patrick (1944-09-09)September 9, 1944 |
| Died | April 20, 2025(2025-04-20) (aged 80) Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | George Washington University (BA) |
| Occupation | TV and radiosportscaster Television personality |
| Years active | 1982–2018 |
| Known for | Sportscaster forESPN Sunday Night Football |
| Spouse | Janet |
Michael Patrick (September 9, 1944 – April 20, 2025) was an Americansportscaster, known for his long tenure withESPN.[1]
Patrick began his broadcasting career in the fall of 1966 at WVSC-Radio (nowWGGI) inSomerset, Pennsylvania. In 1970, he was named Sports Director atWJXT-TV inJacksonville, Florida, where he provided play-by-play forJacksonville Sharks'World Football League (WFL) telecasts (1973–74). He also calledJacksonville University basketball games on both radio and television.[2]
From 1975 until 1982, he worked forWJLA-TV as a sports reporter and weekend anchor. During this period, Patrick also did play-by-play forMaryland Terrapins football and basketball broadcasts (1975–1978) as well as pre-season games for theWashington Redskins (1975–1982) when WJLA had the TV rights to broadcast those games.
In 1984 and 1985 Patrick called ACC games forJefferson-Pilot Sports, with color commentatorsKevin Kiley in 1984 andHaven Moses andKen Willard in 1985.
He also called the October 19, 1985,Auburn vsGeorgia Tech forCBS with color commentatorSteve Davis. On December 21, 1985, Patrick called theDivision 1-AA National Championship game on ESPN between Georgia Southern and Furman with color commentatorSam Adkins.
Patrick joinedESPN in 1982. He was best known for his role asplay-by-play announcer on the network'sSunday Night Football telecasts, withPaul Maguire andJoe Theismann from1987–2005.[3] Patrick was briefly replaced in2004 byPat Summerall, while he recovered fromheart bypass surgery.
For three seasons, from 1986 to 1988, he called college football on ESPN with color commentatorsPat McInally (1986),Lee Corso (1987) and Kiley (1988). In 1989 he called three college games, two with commentatorsGene Washington and one withBen Bennett, while in 1990 he would call three more college games, two with Davis and on September 29 he would call his first game with commentatorMike Gottfried, calling the South Carolina vs Georgia Tech game. From 1991 through 1997, Patrick and Gottfried would call Thursday Night college football games on ESPN. In 2006, Patrick became the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN onCollege Football Primetime, along withTodd Blackledge and field reporterHolly Rowe.
During the 2007 season, Patrick famously asked broadcast partner Todd Blackledge "what is Britney [Spears] doing with her life?" during overtime of an Alabama-Georgia game.[4]
In July 2009,ESPN announced that Patrick would begin calling Saturday afternoonESPN/ABC college football for the 2009 college football season, which he did through 2017.
In addition, Patrick called men's and women'scollege basketball, including theNCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship from 1996 through 2009 and theCollege World Series inOmaha, Nebraska from 2003 until 2014, as well as severalNFL playoff games forABC Sports while the network held theMonday Night Football television package, including theMusic City Miracle.
On February 21, 2018, Patrick retired from ESPN after 35 years with the network.[5] His last event was theAutoZone Liberty Bowl on December 30, 2017.[6]
Patrick was the play-by-play man forMVP 06: NCAA Baseball as well asMVP 07: NCAA Baseball.
For 2015, 2016 and 2017, Patrick did play-by-play for theCleveland Browns preseason football games.[7]
Patrick was inducted into the Jacksonville University Hall of Fame in 2009.[8]
Patrick resided in northern Virginia with his wife, Janet.[9]
On April 20, 2025, Patrick died while in hospital careFairfax, Virginia, at the age of 80.[10]
| Preceded by None | NFL play-by-play broadcaster onSunday Night Football 1987–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | ESPN play-by-play broadcaster onSaturday Night College Football Primetime 2006–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | play-by-play announcer,NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship 1996–2009 | Succeeded by |