Greg Gumbel is an American sports broadcaster popularly known for his work as a host and television personality. Gumby has worked with several well-known networks like CBS, NBC, ESPN, MSG, WMAQ-TV, and WFAN radio.
He is a play-by-play broadcaster for the NFL on CBS and a studio host for CBS men’s college basketball coverage.
Greg Gumbel (Source: Times Union)
Greg made headlines for making the embarrassing mistake of addressing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky as “Sam Darnold” on 18 December 2022.
Furthermore, he has hosted major sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Basketball games.
Gumby is the elder brother of sportscaster and television journalist Bryant Gumbel. Bryant got him into the broadcasting industry. His older brother continuously inspires him to improve his job.
The CBS host is very opinionated on topics related to politics. He is not afraid to speak his mind.
He has also worked with renowned athlete-turned-broadcasters, including Terry Bradshaw, Jim Kaat, etc.
Let’s get into the details of this broadcaster, but let’s first look at his quick facts table.
Greg Gumbel | Quick Facts
Full Name
Greg Gumbel
Birth Date
May 3, 1946
Birth Place
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Nick Name
Gumby
Religion
Christian
Nationality
American
Ethnicity
African American
Education
Loras College
Horoscope
Taurus
Father’s Name
Richard Dunbar Gumbel
Mother’s Name
Rhea Alice LeCesne
Siblings
Three; Bryant, Renee, Rhonda
Age
77 Years Old
Height
5 ft 7 in / 1.7 m / 170 cm
Weight
158 lbs / 72 kgs
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Brown
Build
Athletic
Profession
Sports Broadcaster & TV Personality
Current Network
CBS
Former Network
NBC Sports
Active Years
1973-Present
Marital Status
Married
Wife
Marcy Gumbel
Kids
One; Michelle Gumbel
Net Worth
$16 Million
Last Update
April 2024
Greg Gumbel | Early Life, Family, & Education
Greg Gumbel was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, to Richard Gumbel and Rhea Alice LeCesne. Richard was a judge, while Rhea was a homemaker.
The commentator had a good childhood and grew up in a loving environment.
Although he was born in Louisiana, Bryant and his siblings were raised on the south side of Chicago.
There he attended a Catholic school named De La Salle Institute. As a student in the institute, he actively participated in sports.
The oldest Gumbel was particularly interested in baseball.
After high school graduation, he attended Loras University in Iowa, where he played baseball.
He was a bright student and graduated from college with a degree in English.
Greg has a younger brother named Bryant Gumbel and two younger sisters named Renee Gumbel-Farrahi and Rhonda Gumbel-Thomas.
Greg Gumbel With His Brother Bryant (Source: gossipbio.com)
Bryant is the first African-American announcer to call the play-by-play of a major sports championship in the United States. In 2001 he announced Super Bowl XXXV for the CBS network.
Greg’s young brother Bryant is also a sports broadcaster and commentator. Moreover, he is quite famous for working with well-known networks like NBC and CBS.
Besides that, he has a huge fanbase and is the recipient of several Emmy awards for his outstanding contribution to the sports world.
Furthermore, he gathered media attention when he lost about 55 pounds in seven months.
Greg Gumbel | Age & Body Measurement
The exceptional broadcaster turned 77 years old as of 2024. Nevertheless, he looks way younger and leads a fit and healthy life.
Greg is 1.7 meters tall and weighs around 158.7 lbs.
Greg Gumbel | Broadcasting Career
Early Career
After college graduation, Greg made a living selling hospital supplies in Detroit.
At the same time, his younger brother Bryant served as a sportscaster for NBC-owned and operated television station KNBC in Los Angeles.
Thereupon, he informed Greg about an audition for a sports announcer in another NBC-owned-and-operated television station, WMAQ-TV, in Chicago.
The former baseball player did quite well in the audition, and the TV station eventually offered him the job.
Furthermore, he worked there for seven years before working at other prominent networks.
The TV host has worked at MSG, ESPN, and in a radio station operated by Entercom, WFAN.
Greg was an announcer on SportsCenter and a play-by-play commentator in early NBA games.
Likewise, he was also a backup announcer for New York Knicks broadcasts and host of pregame and postgame shows for the New York Yankees.
CBS Career
After that, in 1988, he started his CBS journey as a part-time NFL announcer.
Then, gradually the broadcaster started announcing college basketball and The NFL Today show with former football player turned broadcaster Terry Bradshaw.
He covered MLB, college football, and NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500.
Above all, the host was also a play-by-play announcer for NBA, MLB, American League Championship Series, and College World Series baseball.
In 1994, he was an evening-time anchor for Winter Olympic Games held in Lillehammer, Norway.
The sportscaster co-anchored the 1992 Winter Olympics that took place in France.
NBC Career
After the CBS network lost NFL and MLB broadcasting contracts, he joined NBC in 1994. As a host, he covered the MLB All-Star Game in 1994.
The CBS Host, With His Team Members (Source: CBS)
In 1996, the American commentator hosted the Summer Olympics in the daytime for NBC.
He was the host of the 1995 World Figure Skating Championships in Birmingham. Not to mention, he also served as a host for The NFL on NBC.
Return To CBS
After a promising NBC career, he returned to CBS as a studio host to cover college basketball and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Gumbel continues to cover college basketball. Besides that, he is the lead announcer for CBS’s NFL package, between which he served in the Super Bowls XXXV and XXXVIII.
Then, during the 2004 NFL season, he took over as the host of The NFL Today, trading places with announcer Jim Natz.
However, after the 2005 season, he was replaced by sportscaster James Brown. Brown is not an unfamiliar face in CBS and The NFL Today.
Greg has worked with famous players and broadcasters like Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Jhonson.
Following the replacement, he became the #2 play-by-play man after returning to broadcasting.
Gumby also made a cameo appearance in the 2013 American comedy-drama film The Best Man Holiday.
Since 2014, the former baseball player has served in the #3 team. For the 2018 NFL season, he worked in a three-man booth with Green and Bruce Arians.
For the 2020 season, he worked in the #4 team with Rich Gannon.
Greg Gumbel made his 50th year in broadcasting with the NCAA tournament on March 18, 2022.
According to a report on 19 December, Greg Gumbel frequently addressed Mitch Trubisky, a Steelers’ quarterback, as ‘Sam Darnold’ Panthers’ starting quarterback without being rectified.
The headline mentioned, “Three times in the span of five minutes on one drive? That’s a pretty rough blunder for an announcer as accomplished as Gumbel.”
Politics
Gumbel refused to be in the NASCAR banquet honoring Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in 1999 because he disagreed with Thoma’s positions on political issues.
He often visited Howard Stern’s radio show. Similarly, Gumbel expressed of Rush Limbaugh, “I find him someone whose words and opinions I can do without.”
Greg Gumbel | Marriage & Kids
Greg is married to Marcy Gumbel. Marcy was born on April 3 of 1949, as Marcella Kaszynski. She is a former business manager.
The duo met around the 70s and have been married since 1973. Gumbel considers Kaszynski his soulmate and thanks god for her presence.
Furthermore, he continually credits her for his success and consistency in work.
Greg With His Grandchild (Source: M3G. Inc)
Even though the couple is relatively private about their personal life, it is no secret that they’re still in love.
Marcy has been a great support system for Gumby throughout his career and continues to be so.
The pair has a beautiful daughter named Michelle Gumbel, born in 1969 before marriage.
Unlike her father, she is not much interested in sports. Nevertheless, she attends games her father is hosting or announcing to catch up and hang out.
As of 2024, the only child is 54 and married with kids.
Like her mother, she maintains a low profile and stays out of the limelight.
Correspondingly, there is not much information about her on the internet. She resides in Florida with her parents, uncle, aunts, and cousins.
Greg Gumbel | Net Worth & Salary
Gumby has managed to build a pretty impressive net worth throughout the years.
With a sportscaster of his experience and fame, it is not surprising either.
Greg has a net worth of over $16 million as of 2024. Moreover, he earns approximately $4 million per year in salary alone.
The television host has his job as a sportscaster and television personality to credit for his wealth.
He is hard-working, takes his career seriously, and delivers passionately.
As a result, he is in demand by fans and media almost all the time. It is safe to say that Gumbel leads a decent and comfortable life.
Greg has built a massive net worth working as a sportscaster for over five decades.
Not to mention, Gumbel owns a beautiful house in Florida, where the host resides with his family.
Social Media Presence
Since the sportscaster was born in the 40s, he has less acknowledgment of social media platforms.
Nevertheless, he is continuously mentioned and tagged in photos on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Although he is not active on social platforms, fans and media appreciate him very well. He has several posts in a hashtag under his name on Instagram.
Moreover, he is continuously mentioned on Twitter and Facebook by fans, fellow sports personalities, and broadcasters.
Popularity Graph
Greg Gumbel is a sportscaster by profession for NBC.
Greg Gumbel Popularity Graph (Source: Google)
The above graph shows his popularity over the past twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does Bryant Gumbel make a year?
Being an experienced sportscaster and host, Gumbel makes approximately a $6 million yearly salary.
As he is quite popular among fans and networks, it is not hard to believe that he earns comparatively more.
What happened to Bryant Gumbel?
Bryant, the younger brother of Greg, had Lung cancer. Bryant himself revealed that he had surgery for lung cancer.
However, some top news sources said that a tumor near the lung had been removed and confirmed that Bryant’s illness was not lung cancer.
Who is the singer in the DIREC TV commercial with Greg Gumbel?
In March 2017, Greg Gumbel and Dan Finnerty appeared in the DIRECTV Commercial to sing a song.
Do Greg and his brother Bryant get along?
Gumby says he gets along with Bryant, the host of NBC’s ‘Today’ show.
However, he also admits that they are not much alike. Greg said, “We’re very different.” ” For one thing, he invites more controversy than I do.”
My name is Urusha Niroula. I have been working as a writer at Playersbio.com since September 2020. I have always had a great fondness for English writing, speaking, and reading. Furthermore, my hobbies include going on walks and short rides, watching Netflix, and sometimes sitting idly.
