Bill Macatee facts for kids

Bill Macatee, born on November 17, 1955, is a well-known American sports broadcaster. He used to work for big sports networks like CBS Sports and Tennis Channel. He retired from broadcasting in 2020.

Early Life and School

Bill Macatee was born in Rome, New York. He grew up in El Paso, Texas, and went to Burges High School there. In 1978, he earned a science degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. While he was in college, Bill also worked at TV stations like KLTV-TV in Tyler and KTVV-TV in Austin.

Bill Macatee's Career in Sports

Bill Macatee had a long and exciting career in sports broadcasting. He worked for several major TV networks, covering many different sports events.

Starting in Local TV

Macatee began his career as a Sports Director at KBMT-TV in Beaumont, Texas. After that, he worked at KMBC-TV in Kansas City. From 1979 to 1982, he worked at WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas.

Working at NBC Sports

In 1982, Macatee joined NBC Sports. He covered many important events, including Wimbledon tennis, the Super Bowl in football, and the Rose Bowl college football game. He also covered the World Series in baseball.

For four years, Macatee hosted the pre-game show for NBC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week. He also hosted many events for NBC's sports show, NBC Sportsworld. Besides sports, he was a sports reporter for the Today Show and a sports anchor for NBC News at Sunrise and Sunday Today. He also co-hosted a TV show called USA Today on TV.

Moving to USA Network

In 1990, Macatee joined USA Network as a sportscaster. From 1991 to 2006, he was the main anchor for the PGA Tour golf coverage. He also hosted the Thursday and Friday coverage of The Masters golf tournament from Butler Cabin. He covered the Ryder Cup golf tournament too.

His other jobs included being a play-by-play announcer for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships and the French Open at Roland Garros. A play-by-play announcer describes the action as it happens during a game.

Joining CBS Sports

Macatee started working for CBS Sports in 1995. He was an announcer and did interviews after rounds for The Masters and the PGA Championship golf tournaments. He also filled in for Jim Nantz during other PGA Tour events. He anchored CBS's coverage of the LPGA Championship and various Champions Tour events. In 2015, Macatee hosted a Golf Channel series called Greatest Rounds.

He also helped cover the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, for CBS Sports. In 2006, he was a studio host for the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, for NBC and USA Network.

Tennis and Football

In tennis, Macatee was the main play-by-play announcer for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships for CBS. He also covered other tennis events for the ATP and WTA.

For 16 years, from 1998 to 2013, Macatee was a play-by-play announcer for the NFL on CBS football games. He also called NCAA Basketball games for CBS Sports, including the NCAA Tournament. Macatee even did play-by-play for many other sports like figure skating, skiing, track-and-field, gymnastics, boxing, and sumo wrestling.

He was also a main play-by-play voice and studio host for the Tennis Channel. He covered major tennis tournaments like the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open for the channel.

Other Work and Retirement

In 2013, Macatee joined The Vistria Group, a company that invests in other businesses. He started as an advisor and later became a partner. In 2021, he became the Head of Strategic Relationships for Vistria. He has also been on the boards of several companies and the advisory board of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Foundation.

Macatee also taught Sports Media at Chapman University in Southern California. He was a Trustee at Lamar University from 2016 to 2019. Lamar University named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 2010, and he gave the graduation speech there in May 2014.

In 2018, Macatee was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and was added to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. He is also in the El Paso (Tx) Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was named Grand Marshall of the Sun Bowl Parade. In 2021, Macatee helped create the Jackson T Stephens Cup, a college golf tournament for top men's and women's teams.

Bill Macatee retired from broadcasting after covering 2020 Masters golf tournament.

Personal Life

Bill Macatee is the father of Caitlin Macatee, who is a comedian. In 2014, Macatee married Sonya Lee. They live in Dallas, Texas.