Mike Patrick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Patrick
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|---|---|
| Born |
Michael Patrick
September 9, 1944 |
| Died | April 20, 2025 (aged 80) Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
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| Education | George Washington University BA Speech (1966) |
| Occupation | Tv / radio sportscaster / television personality |
| Years active | 1982–2018 |
| Known for | Work as play-by-play anchor for ESPN / ABC Sports |
| Title | Sportscaster for ESPN Sunday Night Football |
| Spouse(s) | Janet |
Michael Patrick (born September 9, 1944 – died April 20, 2025) was a famous American sportscaster. He was well-known for working at ESPN for many years.
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Mike Patrick's Early Career in Sports Broadcasting
Patrick started his career in radio in 1966. He worked at WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1970, he became the Sports Director at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida.
He called games for the Jacksonville Sharks football team. He also announced Jacksonville University basketball games. From 1975 to 1982, Patrick worked for WJLA-TV. He was a sports reporter and weekend anchor. During this time, he also called games for the Maryland Terrapins football and basketball teams. He announced pre-season games for the Washington Redskins too.
In the mid-1980s, Patrick called college sports for other networks. He announced ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) games for Jefferson-Pilot Sports. He also called a college football game for CBS. In 1985, he announced the Division 1-AA National Championship game for ESPN.
Mike Patrick's Time at ESPN
Patrick joined ESPN in 1982. He became very famous as a play-by-play announcer. He worked on Sunday Night Football from 1987 to 2005. He often worked with Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann. In 2004, he had heart surgery and was briefly replaced by Pat Summerall.
Patrick also called many college football games for ESPN. From 1991 to 1997, he and Mike Gottfried announced Thursday Night College Football. In 2006, he became the main announcer for College Football Primetime. He worked with Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe.
During a game in 2007, Patrick famously asked Todd Blackledge a funny question. He wondered aloud, "what is Britney [Spears] doing with her life?" This happened during overtime of an Alabama-Georgia game.
In 2009, ESPN announced that Patrick would call Saturday afternoon college football games. He continued this role until 2017. He also announced men's and women's college basketball games. This included the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship for many years. Patrick also called the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He announced several NFL playoff games for ABC Sports.
On February 21, 2018, Patrick retired from ESPN. He had worked there for 35 years. His last game was the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on December 30, 2017.
Other Sports Announcing Jobs
Besides ESPN, Patrick also worked on video games. He was the play-by-play announcer for MVP 06: NCAA Baseball and MVP 07: NCAA Baseball. From 2015 to 2017, Patrick called preseason football games for the Cleveland Browns.
Mike Patrick's Personal Life
In 2009, Patrick was honored by Jacksonville University. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Patrick lived in northern Virginia with his wife, Janet. He passed away on April 20, 2025, in Fairfax, Virginia, at the age of 80.
