Dick Vitale facts for kids
Vitale in 2011
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 9, 1939 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. |
| High school | East Rutherford (East Rutherford, New Jersey) |
| Career information | |
| College | Seton Hall |
| Coaching career | 1963–1979 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1963–1964 | Garfield HS |
| 1964–1971 | East Rutherford HS |
| 1971–1973 | Rutgers (assistant) |
| 1973–1977 | Detroit |
| 1978–1979 | Detroit Pistons |
Richard "Dick" John Vitale (born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is a famous American basketball sportscaster. He used to be a head coach for college and professional teams. He is best known for working as a college basketball announcer for ESPN for over 40 years. People know him for his exciting phrases like "This is awesome, baby!" and "diaper dandy" (which means a great first-year player). He is also known for his energetic comments during games. Dick Vitale has written many books and appeared in several movies.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Dick Vitale was born in Passaic, New Jersey. He grew up in Garfield, New Jersey and later moved to Elmwood Park. His father, John, worked with clothes and as a security guard. His mother, Mae, worked in a factory sewing coats.
Education Journey
Vitale finished East Rutherford High School in 1958. He then went to Seton Hall University and earned a degree in business in 1962. He was the first person in his family to go to college. Later, he got a master's degree in education from William Paterson University.
Coaching Career
Dick Vitale started his career as a coach. He led teams at different levels, from elementary school to professional basketball.
High School Coaching Success
Vitale's first coaching job was at an elementary school in Garfield, New Jersey, in 1958. He then became a head coach at Garfield High School. After that, he coached at East Rutherford High School, his old school. There, he had a great record of 131 wins and 47 losses from 1964 to 1971. He even led his teams to win two state championships in New Jersey.
College Coaching Highlights
In 1971, Vitale became an assistant coach at Rutgers University. On March 31, 1973, he became the head coach at the University of Detroit. He led the Titans to the NCAA tournament in 1977. Vitale's record at Detroit was 78 wins and 30 losses. His team had a 21-game winning streak in 1977. During that streak, they beat the Marquette team, who later became champions. After his fourth season, Vitale also became the university's athletic director.
NBA Coaching Experience
Vitale left the Titans to coach the Detroit Pistons on May 1, 1978. He signed a three-year contract. The Pistons finished with 30 wins and 52 losses in his first year. Vitale faced health issues due to stress as the team struggled. In his second year, on November 8, 1979, he was fired after the Pistons started with 4 wins and 8 losses.
A big reason for his struggles with the Pistons was a trade for a player named Bob McAdoo. The Pistons traded two important draft picks to get McAdoo. These picks later helped the Boston Celtics get two future Hall of Fame players, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.
Head Coaching Records
College Coaching Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Titans (NCAA Division I independent) (1973–1977) | |||||||||
| 1973–74 | Detroit | 17–9 | |||||||
| 1974–75 | Detroit | 17–9 | |||||||
| 1975–76 | Detroit | 19–8 | |||||||
| 1976–77 | Detroit | 26–3 | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||||
| Detroit: | 79–29 (.731) | ||||||||
| Total: | 79–29 (.731) | ||||||||
NBA Coaching Record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 1978–79 | 82 | 30 | 52 | .366 | 4th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Detroit | 1979–80 | 12 | 4 | 8 | .333 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 94 | 34 | 60 | .362 | — | — | — | — | |||
Broadcasting Career
After leaving the Detroit Pistons, Dick Vitale got his first TV job at the new ESPN network. He wasn't sure about it at first, saying he knew nothing about TV. But his wife, Lorraine, told him to "go on TV and have some fun." So, he took the job temporarily.
Starting at ESPN
He called ESPN's first college basketball game on December 5, 1979. It was a game where DePaul beat Wisconsin. His first partner on air was Joe Boyle. Vitale wasn't a natural broadcaster at first. He sometimes talked when he shouldn't have. But the person who hired him, Scotty Connal, saw something special in him. Vitale realized he was good at it when many people wanted his autograph at a big basketball event in 1983. He says working with Jim Simpson helped him a lot.
Growing Popularity
In 1985, after ABC bought ESPN, Vitale also started doing broadcasts on the ABC network. In 1999, he was in some short TV ads for a fake sitcom called "Hoops Malone." These ads were very popular, but the show itself was never made. In December 2002, Vitale called a high school game featuring a young star named LeBron James. He announced this game with Dan Shulman and NBA legend Bill Walton. By the 2004–05 season, Vitale was calling about 40 games a year. He is signed with ESPN until the 2023–24 college basketball season.
In February 2015, ESPN stopped him from covering the famous Duke-UNC basketball games. He had covered every one of these games on ESPN since 1979. Vitale helps vote on important college basketball awards and polls, like the AP Top 25 and the Naismith Award. In January 2022, Vitale took a break from broadcasting to rest his voice. He returned in November to cover a big game between Kentucky and Michigan State.
Broadcasting Partners
By 2009, Vitale had called almost a thousand games. He usually works as a color commentator, adding exciting comments to the game. He often works with play-by-play announcers like Mike Patrick and Dan Shulman. During the postseason, he appears as an expert in the studio. He has worked with many famous sportscasters over the years, including Keith Jackson and Brent Musburger.
Awards and Honors
Dick Vitale has received many awards for his work in basketball and broadcasting.
Basketball Honors
- The University of Detroit named their basketball court "Dick Vitale Court" in his honor in 2011.
Broadcasting Awards
- 2019 Sports Emmy Award – Lifetime Achievement award for his long and successful career.
ESPY Awards
- 2022 Jimmy V Award – This award honors people who show great strength in facing challenges, especially health battles.
Halls of Fame
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2008)
- College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2008)
- Little League Museum Hall of Excellence inductee (2012)
- NSMA Hall of Fame (2013)
- New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee (2016)
- Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (2020)
Other Appearances
Dick Vitale has also appeared in video games, written books, and been in commercials and movies.
Video Games
Dick Vitale lent his voice and name to the 1994 Sega Genesis game Dick Vitale's "Awesome, Baby!" College Hoops. Later, he and Brad Nessler provided the voices for the EA Sports' NCAA Basketball video game series until it ended in 2010.
Books Written
In 2004, Vitale released his autobiography, Living a Dream. This book shares his thoughts on his time with the Pistons and ESPN. It also includes memories of his friend, former NC State basketball Coach Jim Valvano.
Commercials and Endorsements
Vitale has appeared in commercials for many products. These include DiGiorno pizza, Oberto beef jerky, GEICO insurance, and Hooters restaurants. In the early 1990s, he was in Taco Bell TV ads.
Films and Television Shows
Vitale has had small roles in several movies and TV shows.
- In 1988, he played a baseball announcer in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!.
- He guest starred on The Cosby Show with his friend Jim Valvano.
- He often played himself, commentating on fictional games in movies like Blue Chips and He Got Game.
Film Roles
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) – Baseball Announcer #1
- Blue Chips (1994) – Himself
- Jury Duty (1995) – Hal Gibson
- The Sixth Man (1997) – Himself
- He Got Game (1998) – Himself
- Love & Basketball (2000) – Himself
- Complete Guide to Guys (2005) – Himself
- Home of the Giants (2007) – Himself
- Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (2012) – Viking Mayor
Personal Life and Health
Dick Vitale married Lorraine McGrath in 1971. They have two daughters, Terri and Sherri, and five grandchildren. He lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. He is a big fan of the local sports teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Lightning. He is also a Catholic.
Vitale has faced several health challenges in recent years. In 2021, he announced he was getting treatment for health issues. Later that year, he shared that he was battling another illness. In December 2021, he had problems with his voice and lost it for four months after surgeries. In August 2022, Vitale happily announced that his doctors said he was healthy. However, in July 2023, he shared that he was facing another health challenge and would undergo treatment. By December 2023, he announced he was healthy again. In June 2024, he announced another health battle, but by December, he was declared healthy once more. Through all these challenges, Dick Vitale has shown great strength and a positive attitude.
