Dick Vitale was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1939 and reared in Garfield. His father, John, worked as a garment press operator and security guard, while his mother, Mae, worked as a seamstress in a factory. Vitale attended East Rutherford High School as a youth before attending Seton Hall University, where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in business administration. He later received a master’s degree in education from William Paterson University.
Personal Life
Since 1971, Dick Vitale has been married to Lorraine McGrath. Sherri and Terri, the couple’s two daughters, have given them five grandkids. Tampa Bay’s Rays, Lightning, and Buccaneers are among Vitale’s favourite non-NBA teams. Dick and Lorraine spent $485,000 in 2001 on an undeveloped 1.4-acre tract of land in Bradenton, Florida. They finished building a 12,700-square-foot house in 2003. The house is now worth between $5 and $7 million.
Career
Vitale’s first employment as a coach was at a Garfield, New Jersey elementary school in 1958. He subsequently went up to the high school level and spent one season as the head coach at Garfield High School. Later, he coached at East Rutherford High School, where he led his teams to two New Jersey state titles. His record at the school was 131-47 from 1964 to 1971.
Vitale joined Rutgers University as an assistant coach in 1971, reporting to head coach Dick Lloyd. He was appointed as the head coach at the University of Detroit after two seasons at the institution. Vitale led that squad to the 32-team NCAA tournament in 1977. His record with the Red Wings was 78-30, including a 21-game winning streak in 1977. Following that great season, Vitale was elevated to the role of athletic director at the institution.
Vitale made his professional debut in 1978. He coached the NBA’s Detroit Pistons in 1978-79, eventually leading them to a 30-52 record. However, towards the end of 1979, amid the club’s difficult start, Pistons owner Bill Davidson informed Vitale that the organisation had decided to change coaches.
Scotty Connal, the then-nascent ESPN network, gave Vitale his first broadcast job when he left his post as Pistons coach. Although he was hesitant to accept, Vitale agreed to take the job on the condition that he only do it temporarily until he could find another coaching position. In December 1979, he and play-by-play partner Joe Boyle called ESPN’s inaugural collegiate basketball game, in which DePaul University defeated Wisconsin 90-77.
Vitale struggled to adjust to life in the media industry at first. He skipped his first production meeting in Chicago, among other things, and frequently chatted over commercials and play-by-plays. Nonetheless, his bosses had faith in him. When crowds approached Vitale for an autograph at 1983 Final Four, he realised the magnitude of his talent.
The American Broadcasting Company, or ABC, bought ESPN in 1985, and Vitale began conducting broadcasts for that network. Vitale, among other things, had covered every televised game between Duke and the University of North Carolina from 1979 through 2015. Vitale was calling roughly 40 games per year by the 2004-2005 season. In addition, he called a prep game between Oak Hill Academy and St. Vincent-St. Mary’s in 2002, which included future NBA all-star LeBron James at the time.
Vitale called his first broadcast NBA game since the 1984 playoffs in 2009, alongside Canadian sportscaster Dan Shulman, between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets. That year was significant for Vitale since it represented the year he called roughly 1,000 games. He is frequently teamed with play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick for ACC games and with Dan Shulman for Saturday primetime and other non-ACC games as a colour commentator. Vitale joins host Rece Davis as an in-studio commentator for the postseason. He’s worked with notable personalities like Roger Twibell, Brent Musburger, Jim Simpson, Mike Tirico, and Brad Nessler over the years.
Outside of sports broadcasting, Vitale has done a lot of other things. In 1994, he voiced and appeared in the Sega Genesis video game “Dick Vitale’s ‘Awesome, Baby!’ College Hoops.” He later provided the voice for EA Sports’ “NCAA Basketball” video game series. Vitale has also done several product endorsements, including ads for DiGiorno, Oberto, GEICO, Hooters, and Taco Bell. Meanwhile, he has appeared in a number of films, generally as a sports pundit. He has appeared in films such as “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!,” “Blue Chips,” “Jury Duty,” “He Got Game,” “Love & Basketball,” and “Home of the Giants.”
Vitale is also a prolific writer. “Vitale,” his debut work, was published in 1988. Following releases include “Time Out Baby!,” “Dickie V’s Top 40 All-Everything Teams,” “Holding Court: Reflections on the Game I Love,” “Campus Chaos,” and “The Lost Season.” In 2004, he co-wrote his autobiography with Dick Weiss called “Living a Dream.” The book features Vitale’s reflections on his time with ESPN and the Pistons, as well as his memories of former coach Jim Valvano.
Net Worth
Dick Vitale is a $20 million net-worth American basketball sportscaster and former head coach of NBA and collegiate teams. For 40 years, ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale was recognised for his quirky catchphrases and enthusiastic, colourful analysis. Vitale has also written a lot of books and performed in films.
Facts
| Net Worth | $20 Million |
| Date of Birth | Jun 9, 1939 (83 years old) |
| Place of Birth | Passaic |
| Gender | Male |
| Profession | Coach, Sports commentator, Commentator |
| Nationality | Italy |
