The NCAA tournament and upcoming men's Final Four isn't the same without the longtime and legendary broadcaster Greg Gumbel, who died of cancer this past December. Selection Sunday began with a Gumbel tribute before the tournament kicked off and now, the Final Four begins the same way.
CBS prepared a heartwarming tribute video for Gumbel ahead of Saturday's Final Four matchups which pit Auburn against Florida and Houston against Duke. Many of Gumbel's colleagues—like Charles Barkley, Terry Bradshaw, Kenny Smith, Phil Simms and Dan Dierdorf—appeared to speak about the beloved broadcaster.
And there was a common theme of poking fun at Gumbel's joke-telling style. "He was the worst joke teller in the history of civilization," Barkley said to begin the video tribute on CBS.
There will simply never be another Greg Gumbel. pic.twitter.com/hvYe2k2SNI
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 5, 2025
Then, the CBS studio crew in San Antonio for the Final Four gave their own live tributes as emotions ran high. In a tough moment to find the right words, a choked up Ernie Johnson asked Clark Kellogg to speak about his colleague and friend.
"He was a great hang," Kellogg said during the CBS pregame show. "My boys ask me all the time when I play golf we somebody or spend time together, 'Dad, was he a good hang?' He was a platinum-level great hang. I miss him forever, but will remember him even more."
“He was a pro’s pro. It’s the best way I can say it.” - @TurnerSportsEJ
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 5, 2025
The crew reflects on their friend and colleague. pic.twitter.com/OAZNiQwrK3
Jay Wright, the longtime Villanova coach and current CBS Sports analyst, recalled Gumbel's voice as the "voice you wanted to hear" throughout his entire coaching career as Gumbel announced the March Madness field. And then Gumbel took Wright under his wing and mentored him during his transition to television.
The only way to kick off the Final Four.
More March Madness on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as CBS Crew Gave Emotional Tributes for Greg Gumbel Ahead of Final Four.
