Dick Vitale says he owes two pieces of life direction to his parents.

“Number one, never, ever believe you can’t. You can be what you want to be. Number two, my parents always used to say, ‘Be good to people and they will be good to you.’ I’ve tried to live my life like that, and I’ve tried to be an example.”

In recent years, Vitale’s life has been an example of the strength and grace needed to fight a battle with throat cancer. At the conclusion of the 2023 Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Celebration, he was honored with a surprise Inspiration Award and a tremendous ovation from the full house in attendance.

Vitale joined the Notre Dame family in the 1990s when daughters Terri and Sherri became Fighting Irish tennis players who went on to earn MBAs from the university. He has since become one of its greatest ambassadors, forever singing the praises of the people who make Notre Dame special. He has, in turn, become a beloved honorary Monogram Club member.

Vitale gained fame as college basketball’s top analyst for ESPN following a successful coaching career in the high school, college, and pro ranks, including multiple state high school championships, a 21-game winning streak with the University of Detroit in 1976-77, and a season with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. Vitale called ESPN’s first-ever NCAA basketball game—Wisconsin at DePaul on Dec. 5, 1979. Since then, he’s called close to a thousand games. In 2008, Vitale received the sport’s ultimate honor when he was selected as an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. 

His thorough knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, sometimes controversial—but never boring—style. His “Vitale-isms” have unwittingly taken on a life of their own. Just a few of his many household phrases: “Awesome, Baby!,” “Get a TO, Baby!” (call a timeout), “PTPer” (prime-time player), “M&Mer” (a mismatch), “Rolls Roycer” (a flat out superstar), “diaper dandy” (freshman star), “All-Windex Performer” (ferocious rebounder) and “Maalox time” (the final minutes of a close game). Vitale credits Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Simpson, who he teamed with in the early 80s, in helping him develop his broadcast style.

As a philanthropist, Vitale serves on the Board of Directors of The V Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano (and an organization that has since raised millions of dollars). He has co-chaired the annual V Foundation Golf Classic and hosts an annual V Foundation Gala in Florida which gathers numerous celebrities to raise money and honor individuals such as Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight and Pat Summitt. And for many years he has awarded five scholarships annually to the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota (Fla.), earning him recognition as one of the area’s most influential citizens by Sarasota Magazine. 

Vitale is also a member of advisory boards for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Henry Iba Citizen Awards. Additionally, he participates on selection committees for both the Naismith and Wooden Awards and is a member of the Associated Press voting panel for the Top-25. He is also a voter for the Hall of Fame’s Bob Cousy Awards. Vitale himself has been inducted into nine different Halls of Fame. 

At Notre Dame, Dick and wife Lorraine’s proud involvement includes the endowment of the Dick Vitale Family Scholarship, presented annually to an Irish undergraduate who participates in Notre Dame sports or activities and does not receive financial aid. Recipients have included the school’s Leprechaun mascot, cheerleaders and band members.

“I’m living the American dream,” Vitale once said. “I learned from my mom and dad, who didn’t have a formal education, but had doctorates of love. They told me that if you give 110 percent all the time, a lot of beautiful things will happen. I may not always be right, but no one can ever accuse me of not having a genuine love and passion for whatever I do.”