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{{short description|American sportscaster for golf, gymnastics, and figure skating}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Terry Gannon
| image = 2025 Worlds Terry Gannon.jpg
| caption = Gannon at the [[2025 World Figure Skating Championships]]
| birth_name = Terrance Patrick Gannon
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|11|01}}
| birth_place = [[Joliet, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| citizenship = American
| education =
| alma_mater = [[North Carolina State University]]
| occupation = [[Sportscaster]]
| employer = [[NBC Sports]]
| known_for =
| spouse = Lisa Gannon
| partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) -->
| children =
| awards =
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| signature =
}}
'''Terrance Patrick Gannon''' (born November 1, 1963) is an American [[sportscaster]] who is a play-by-play broadcaster for [[NBC Sports]], [[Golf Channel]] and [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]], calling primarily for [[golf]], [[gymnastics]] and [[figure skating]], as well as [[basketball]] for the [[Big Ten Conference]] and [[National Basketball Association]].
Gannon played basketball for [[North Carolina State University]], and under coach [[Jim Valvano]], he was a member of the [[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1983]] [[North Carolina State Wolfpack|Wolfpack]] "Cardiac Pack" [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|national championship]]-winning team. He was recognized as an [[Academic All-American]] twice, was NC State's all-time leading [[free throw]] shooter in 1983, and was ranked the second all-time Wolfpack player in career free throw accuracy.
Gannon began his early broadcasting career announcing for a variety of sports, mostly on [[cable television|cable outlets]]. In 1991, he began working for [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]; in the early 1990s, he started announcing for figure skating. In 2010, he began working for the [[Golf Channel]]; by 2016, he had become the lead play-by-play announcer for figure skating at NBC. In 2018, he began calling gymnastics and was a commentator for the sport during the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] in Tokyo.
==Early life and career==
Gannon was born and raised in [[Joliet, Illinois]], to Jim Gannon and Mary Gann. Upon his father's recommendation, he took four years of tap dancing lessons from his mother, who had taught tap dancing for 30 years, because he thought it would be good for his son's coordination. Gannon began his basketball career at [[Joliet Catholic High School]], where his father was a coach.<ref name="barryjacobs">{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Barry |date=29 May 2017 |title=NC State's Terry Gannon Left Basketball, Embraced Broadcasting |work=The News & Observer |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article152880899.html |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref>
Gannon attended [[North Carolina State University]] (NC State) in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[North Carolina]], where he played [[college basketball]] as part of the [[North Carolina State Wolfpack|Wolfpack]] team under coach [[Jim Valvano]], where he was recognized as an [[Academic All-American]] twice and NC State's all-time leading [[free throw]] shooter. In 1983, he was a part of the "Cardiac Pack", which upset the [[1982–83 Houston Cougars men's basketball team|Houston Cougars]] for the [[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA title]].<ref name="wral">{{cite news |last=Glenn |first=David |date=27 June 2007 |title=Terry Gannon, More ACC-NBA, Etc. |work=WRAL.com |url=http://www.wral.com/sports/blogpost/1537979/ |url-status=dead |access-date=11 December 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209163631/http://www.wral.com/sports/blogpost/1537979/ |archive-date=9 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="tvg">{{cite web |title=Terry Gannon: Biography |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/terry-gannon/bio/273475/ |access-date=11 December 2022 |website=TV Guide}}</ref> He hit 85.4 percent of his free throw attempts and was ranked the second all-time Wolfpack player in career free throw accuracy.<ref name="barryjacobs"/>
After graduating with a degree in history from NC State in 1985, he worked as a graduate assistant for Valvano for a year, intending to become a [[Coach (basketball)|basketball coach]].<ref name="barryjacobs"/><ref name="tvg"/> He briefly played professional basketball in Europe, but on the advice of Valvano, left the sport for broadcasting.<ref name="tvg"/><ref name="wral"/> In 2018, on the 35th anniversary of their win, NC State inducted the entire [[1982–83 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|1983 men's basketball team]] into its Athletic Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news |date=19 April 2017 |title=NC State Announces 2018 Hall of Fame Class |work=NC State Athletics |url=http://gopack.com/news/2017/4/19/general-2018-nc-state-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-announced.aspx |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="helenross">{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Helen |date=21 March 2018 |title=Gannon's Transition from Hardwood to Broadcast Booth |work=PGA Tour.com |url=https://www.pgatour.com/beyond-the-ropes/03/21/terry-gannon-goes-from-basketball-to-broadcast-booth.html |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref>
==Broadcasting career==
Gannon has announced a wide variety of sporting events and has been called one of the "most versatile"<ref name="tvg" /> announcers in TV sports and "the man who knows every game".<ref name="barryjacobs" /> Fellow commentators [[Tara Lipinski]], [[Johnny Weir]], and [[Nastia Liukin]] credit Gannon with their development as analysts.<ref name="joereedy"/> Lipinski stated that Gannon's depth of knowledge, experience, and "the way he brings natural, genuine conversation into the booth" made his style "compelling".<ref name="joereedy" /> Gannon's focus as a commentator for the Olympics was exposing general fans to sports they viewed rarely, only every four years.<ref name="joereedy" />
===Early career===
In 1986, Gannon began broadcasting on Valvano's TV and radio shows for regionally televised basketball games.<ref name="barryjacobs" /> He served as a regular college basketball game analyst for [[Raycom Sports]], [[Prime Sports|Prime Network]], Jefferson-Pilot Sports, [[Fox Sports South|Sports South]], and [[Home Team Sports]] between 1987 and 1994, and as a play-by-play announcer for Prime Sports and Jefferson-Pilot's coverage of college baseball.<ref>{{cite web |title=Terry Gannon |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/shows05/sports/commentators/gannon.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608090801/http://www.abcmedianet.com/shows05/sports/commentators/gannon.shtml |archive-date=8 June 2007 |access-date=11 December 2022 |publisher=ABC Medianet}}</ref> Gannon credits Valvano for his career, noting that the coach had told his players that basketball "shouldn't be your entire life, it shouldn't consume you".<ref name="barryjacobs" /> From 1990 to 1994, Gannon was the announcer for the [[Charlotte Knights]], a [[Minor League Baseball]] team in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]].<ref name="tvg" />
===ABC and ESPN===
In 1991, Gannon started working for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] as a commentator for college basketball. He also was an announcer on the weekly show ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]''.<ref name="barryjacobs"/> While working at ''Wide World of Sports'', Gannon said that his biggest broadcasting influences were [[Harry Caray]] and [[Al Michaels]].<ref name="abcchat"/>
Starting in the early 1990s, after being asked to travel to [[Tokyo, Japan]], to cover a professional [[figure skating]] event,<ref name="barryjacobs"/><ref name="barrywilner">{{cite news |last1=Wilner |first1=Barry |date=3 February 2018 |title=From Hoops to Links to the Rink, Gannon Provides the Voice |work=Daily Herald |agency=Associated Press |___location=Chicago |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20180203/sports/302039853 |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref> Gannon served as host for ABC's [[figure skating]] coverage, teaming with former Olympic skaters [[Peggy Fleming]] and [[Dick Button]] at most major competitions.<ref name="abcchat"/> As sports reporter Barry Jacobs stated, figure skating was "a sport he had not followed",<ref name="barryjacobs"/> but like every new sport, he approached it with "scholarly zeal" and "as if it was a history project".<ref name="barryjacobs"/> He would learn a sport's rules, key figures from its past and present, and for the purpose of sounding authentic to its fans, its "idiosyncratic language".<ref name="barryjacobs"/> Gannon told reporter Barry Wilner that he would also talk about what he knew about the new sport and avoid unfamiliar topics until he learned more about it.<ref name="barrywilner"/> Eventually, although he was most closely associated with figure skating and golf, with what Jacobs called "his warm, authoritative voice and understated manner",<ref name="barryjacobs"/> Gannon has announced for a wide variety of sporting events.
In 1993, Gannon began broadcasting for [[ESPN]] and ABC (which was [[ESPN on ABC#1980s and 1990s: Disney purchase and ESPN integration|merged with ESPN]]), covering play-by-play coverage for [[College Basketball on ABC|college basketball]] and [[College Football on ABC|football]]; by 2001, he had covered three post-season bowl games. He was an announcer on ABC's coverage of the [[PGA Tour]] and the [[Champions Tour]] and announced the [[Tour de France]], which Jacobs called Gannon's "perhaps his greatest challenge",<ref name="barryjacobs"/> three times. In 2001, ABC reported that Gannon hosted the [[Belmont Stakes]] once and three times called the play-by-play at the [[Little League World Series]]. By the time he left ABC, Gannon had also covered the [[NBA]], [[WNBA]], [[horse racing]], [[tennis]], [[beach volleyball]], [[skiing]], [[supercross|supercross motorcycle]] racing, [[mountain biking]], and [[golf]]. He announced for the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]], the [[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup]], [[Women's Tennis Association|WTA professional tennis]], the [[2004 Indianapolis 500]], [[2006 Belmont Stakes]], the [[Special Olympics]], the [[Goodwill Games]], and hosted ABC's college football studio show. For six years, he hosted the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]].<ref name="abcchat">{{cite web |date=2001 |title=Chat wrap: ABC's Terry Gannon |url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/wwos/chatwrap/terrygannon.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527065853/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/wwos/chatwrap/terrygannon.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |access-date=11 December 2022 |publisher=ABC Sports}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Terry Gannon |url=http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/bio/terry-gannon/ |access-date=11 December 2022 |website=NBC Sports}}</ref>
In 2018, Gannon told sports reporter Helen Ross that out of all the sports he has called, he found golf the hardest, even though he played it and had been a fan of the sport since childhood. He played golf in clubs near his home in Los Angeles, but most of his golf was played on the road, with former golf pros and fellow broadcasters like his Golf Channel broadcast partner, six-time major champion [[Nick Faldo]], as well as with [[Craig Perks]], [[Billy Kratzert]], [[Matt Gogel]], [[Jim Gallagher Jr.]], and [[Curt Byrum]].<ref name="helenross"/>
===NBC Sports===
In 2010, Gannon joined the broadcast team of the [[Golf Channel]], which is owned by the [[NBC Sports Group]]. NBC Sports also called him one of its "most versatile voices".<ref name="nbcbio">{{Cite web |title=Terry Gannon |url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/bio/terry-gannon |access-date=August 20, 2022 |website=NBC Sports Pressbox |language=en}}</ref> He served as play-by-play announcer on the [[PGA Tour]], the [[LPGA Tour]], Olympic figure skating and [[gymnastics]], and college basketball. He has covered five Olympic Games, including serving as studio host and play-by-play commentator for figure skating, [[Short track speed skating at the Winter Olympics|short track]], [[Rowing at the Summer Olympics|rowing]], [[Canoeing at the Summer Olympics|canoeing]], and [[Golf at the Summer Olympics|golf]].<ref name="nbcbio"/> He won a [[Sports Emmy Awards|Sports Emmy]] for his involvement in NBC's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.<ref name="nbcuniversal2025">{{Cite news |title=Terry Gannon to Join NBA Sports' NBA Coverage as Play-by-Play Voice |url=https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/terry-gannon-join-nba-sports-nba-coverage-play-play-voice |access-date=July 15, 2025 |work=NBC Universal}}</ref>
In 2014, Gannon was enlisted as a play-by-play commentator for figure skating as the needed backup announcers for their daytime broadcasts of figure skating, and so at first, he was slotted to work with [[Figure skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics|1998 Olympic champion]] Tara Lipinski and three-time [[U.S. Figure Skating Championships|U.S. national champion]] Johnny Weir separately. The trio recognized their chemistry and requested that they call the competition together; the result was the 10 best weekday daytime ratings in NBC's history.<ref name="tomweir"/> They were promoted to the network's lead figure skating announcing team the following season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=de Moraes |first=Lisa |date=October 22, 2014 |title=Johnny Weir & Tara Lipinski Crowned NBC's Figure-Skating Announcing Team, Joining Terry Gannon |work=Deadline |url=https://deadline.com/2014/10/johnny-weir-tara-lipinski-nbc-figure-skating-terry-gannon-857531/ |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref> Lipinski and Weir reported that Gannon "upped his game" with his wardrobe after working with them. Lipinski called Gannon "dapper" and "stylish"; she and Weir reported that she and Weir had helped Gannon with accessories such as [[cuff links]] and [[Hermès]] pocket squares.<ref name="tomweir">{{Cite news |last=Weir |first=Tom |date=10 February 2018 |title=Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir Are Ready to Rule the Winter Olympics Again |work=Bleacher Report |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2758431-tara-lipinski-and-johnny-weir-are-ready-to-rule-the-winter-olympics-again |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref> In 2017, Gannon signed a five-year contract extension with NBC and the Golf Channel.<ref name="barryjacobs"/>
In 2018, Gannon, Lipinski, and Weir announced [[Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics|figure skating at the Winter Olympics]] in [[Pyeongchang County|PyeongChang]], [[South Korea]].<ref name="macur">{{cite news |last1=Macur |first1=Juliet |date=18 February 2018 |title=Scott Hamilton Was Demoted as an Olympic Broadcaster. Don't Feel Sorry for Him. |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/18/sports/olympics/figure-skating-nbc-scott-hamilton-.html |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref> Gannon also called [[ice dancing]] with former ice dancer [[Tanith Belbin White|Tanith White]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bauder |first1=David |date=19 February 2018 |title=French Ice Dancer Undone by Wardrobe Malfunction on Live TV |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/rippon-mind-accept-nbc-job-53188295 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222013724/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/rippon-mind-accept-nbc-job-53188295 |archive-date=22 February 2018}}</ref> Also in 2018, Gannon began commentating for gymnastics, with 1984 gold medalist [[Tim Daggett]] and 2008 all-around champion Nastia Liukin. Gannon said that he considered calling gymnastics at a high level "an honor".<ref name="joereedy">{{Cite news |last=Reedy |first=Joe |date=26 July 2021 |title=NBC's Gannon Adds Olympic Gymnastics to Versatile Resume |work=Associated Press News |url=https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-entertainment-sports-winter-olympics-3791c7275869ca87e54eb9e29900f355 |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref> He was the play-by-play commentator for the [[2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Paris Olympics]], along with [[Samantha Peszek]] and [[Tim Daggett]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Erwin |first=Grace |date=30 July 2024 |title=Who are the Commentators for Olympic Gymnastics? |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/commentators-olympic-gymnastics-paris/3505843/ |access-date=16 August 2024 |website=NBC Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref>
Gannon, Lipinski, and Weir also hosted the closing ceremonies of four Olympic games: [[2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|Pyeongchang (2018)]], [[2020 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|Tokyo (2020)]], [[2022 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|Beijing (2022)]], and [[2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|Paris (2024)]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tolentino |first=Daysia |date=11 August 2024 |title=Olympics Closing Ceremony 2024: Everything You Need to Know, How to Watch, Start Time |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics-2024-opening-ceremony-watch-start-time-rcna165958 |access-date=16 August 2024 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>
Coinciding with the return of the [[NBA on NBC Sports|NBA]] to NBC's broadcasting schedule, the network added Gannon to their broadcast team prior to the [[2025–26 NBA season|2025–26 season]], joining both [[Mike Tirico]] and [[Noah Eagle]] as play-by-play announcers. Since 2023, Gannon has called [[College Basketball on NBC Sports|Big Ten basketball]] games for [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]].<ref name="nbcuniversal2025" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Weiss |first=Josh |date=July 15, 2025 |title=Longtime Commentator & Former NCAA Champ Terry Gannon Joins NBC Sports' NBA Coverage |url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/terry-gannon-joins-nbc-sports-nba-coverage-as-play-by-play-voice |access-date=July 15, 2025 |work=NBC Insider}}</ref>
==Career timeline==
===Assignments timeline===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Network
|-
| 1991–1994 || rowspan="2"| ''[[College Basketball on ABC]]/[[College Basketball on ESPN|ESPN]]'' || Game analyst || rowspan="7"| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]/[[ESPN]]
|-
| 1995–2009 || Play-by-play
|-
| 1992–2010 || ''Figure Skating on ABC/ESPN'' || Play-by-play (lead)
|-
| 1995–1998 || ''[[Wide World of Sports (American TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]'' || rowspan="2"|Play-by-play
|-
| 1995–2009 || ''[[College Football on ABC]]''
|-
| 1999–2013 || ''[[Golf on ESPN]]'' (''[[PGA Tour on ABC]]'') || Tower announcer/host
|-
| 2004–2012 || ''[[WNBA on ESPN]]'' || rowspan="2"|Play-by-play (lead)
|-
| 2010–present || ''Figure Skating on NBC'' || [[NBC]]
|-
| 2010–2013 || ''[[NBA on ESPN]]'' || Play-by-play || ABC/ESPN
|-
| 2010–present || [[Golf Channel]] || Tower announcer/host || Golf Channel
|-
| 2013–present || ''[[Golf on NBC]]'' || Substitute host || rowspan="5"|NBC
|-
| rowspan="2"|2023–present || ''Gymnastics on NBC'' || Play-by-play (lead)
|-
| ''[[College Basketball on NBC]]'' (''Big Ten Basketball on Peacock'') || rowspan="2"|Play-by-play
|-
| 2025–present || ''[[NBA on NBC Sports|NBA on NBC]]''
|}
*1987–1994: college basketball analyst for [[Raycom Sports]] and [[Jefferson Pilot Sports|Jefferson-Pilot Sports]]
*1990–1994: announcer for the class AAA baseball team the [[Charlotte Knights]]
*1991–1994: play-by-play announcer for Jefferson-Pilot's coverage of [[college baseball]]
===Major events===
*1995–1997 [[Tour de France]], ABC studio host
*1995–1996 [[Little League World Series]], ABC
*[[1999 Little League World Series]], ABC
*[[2002 FIFA World Cup]], ABC studio host
*[[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup]], ABC studio host
*[[2004 Indianapolis 500]], ABC studio host
*2006 [[Belmont Stakes]], ABC studio host
*[[2010 Winter Olympics]], [[Universal Sports]] daytime host
*[[2012 Summer Olympics]], [[NBC Sports|NBC]] commentator, rowing and canoeing
*[[2014 Winter Olympics]], NBC commentator, figure skating and [[short track speed skating]]
*[[2016 Summer Olympics]], NBC main tower host, golf
*[[2018 Winter Olympics]], NBC commentator, figure skating (including [[ice dancing]]), Closing Ceremony
*[[2020 Summer Olympics]] (2021), NBC commentator, gymnastics, Closing Ceremony
*[[2022 Winter Olympics]], NBC commentator, figure skating (including [[ice dancing]]), Closing Ceremony
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before=[[Brent Musburger]]| title=Lead Play-by-Play, Little League World Series | years=1999 | after=[[Brent Musburger]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{1983 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball navbox}}
{{NBA on ABC}}
{{NBA on NBC}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gannon, Terry}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American horse racing announcers]]
[[Category:American television sports announcers]]
[[Category:American soccer commentators]]
[[Category:Baseball announcers]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Joliet, Illinois]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers in the United States]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:Cycling announcers]]
[[Category:Figure skating commentators]]
[[Category:American golf commentators]]
[[Category:Motorsport announcers]]
[[Category:NBA broadcasters]]
[[Category:NC State Wolfpack men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Olympic Games broadcasters]]
[[Category:Women's National Basketball Association announcers]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Minor League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
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