Dick Vitale Net Worth, Health, Age & Life Story

Childhood & Early Life

Vitale grew up in Garfield, New Jersey, after being born in Passaic, New Jersey. He relocated to Elmwood Park, now known as East Paterson, during his first year of high school.

John, his father, worked as a security guard in addition to operating a piecework textile press. Before having a stroke, his mother Mae was a seamstress at a factory, sewing jackets.

In 1958, Vitale received his diploma from East Rutherford High School. In 1962, he received his business administration degree from Seton Hall University.

He is a first-generation college student, having been the first in his family to go. Later on, William Paterson University—formerly known as Paterson State College—awarded him a master’s degree in education.

In 1971, Vitale wed Lorraine McGrath. Terri and Sherri, the couple’s two daughters, have five grandkids. Since the 1990s, he has made Lakewood Ranch, Florida, in the wider Tampa Bay region his home. He is a well-known Rays, Lightning, and Buccaneers supporter. A Roman Catholic, he is.In 1971, Vitale wed Lorraine McGrath.

Terri and Sherri, the couple’s two daughters, have five grandkids. Since the 1990s, he has made Lakewood Ranch, Florida, in the wider Tampa Bay region his home. He is a well-known Rays, Lightning, and Buccaneers supporter. A Roman Catholic, he is.

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Career

In 1958, Vitale started working as a coach at an elementary school in Garfield, New Jersey.

He eventually advanced to the high school ranks, spending one season as head coach at Garfield High School before taking over at his alma mater, East Rutherford High School, where he had a 131–47 record from 1964 to 1971 and earned two New Jersey state titles with his teams.

Vitale relocated to Rutgers University in 1971 to work as head coach Dick Lloyd’s assistant coach. On March 31, 1973, he was appointed head coach of the University of Detroit. In 1977, he led the Titans to the 32-team NCAA tournament.

During his time with Detroit, Vitale had a 78–30 record, which included a 21-game winning run in the 1977 campaign. The eventual champion Marquette was beaten by the Titans in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when they were on the road during that run.

On May 1, 1978, Vitale departed from the Titans to take over as head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Bob Kauffman had taken over as interim coach after Herb Brown was fired 4+1⁄2 months earlier on December 15, 1977. He agreed to a three-year deal for $100,000 per year in pay and a brand-new Cadillac.

In 1978–79, the Pistons concluded with a 30–52 (.366) record. During his first season in Detroit, while the team was struggling, Vitale was admitted to the hospital due to gastrointestinal problems brought on by stress.

On November 8, 1979, during his second season, Vitale received a visit from Pistons owner Bill Davidson informing him that the team was changing coaches.

Following ESPN’s acquisition by the American Broadcasting Company in 1985, Vitale started hosting programs on the ABC network as well.

Vitale appeared in a number of thirty-second “Hoops Malone” promotional shorts in 1999. The ESPN shorts, which featured a puppet named “O’Hoolix” along with actors Vitale, George Gervin, and others, were portrayed as a comedy.

They ran on high rotation. In an attempt to create excitement for the program, ESPN advertised “Hoops” with banners and other marketing materials, but no episodes were ever created. Despite receiving an offer to star in a comedy as a result, Vitale declined the chance.

In February 2015, ESPN removed Vitale from covering Duke-UNC basketball. He had covered every Duke-UNC game televised by ESPN since 1979.

Vitale has called almost a thousand games as of 2009. Color commentator Vitale is usually teamed with play-by-play commentators Dan Shulman for Saturday Primetime and other non-ACC games, and Mike Patrick for ACC games.

He cohosts an in-studio analysis segment with Rece Davis throughout the playoffs, joining other commentators Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis, and Bob Knight.

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major Works/filmography

Year	Movie
1988	The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1994	Blue Chips
1995	Jury Duty
1997	The Sixth Man
1998	He Got Game
2000	Love & Basketball
2005	Complete Guide to Guys
2007	Home of the Giants
2012	Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil

Books

Vitale has authored fourteen books, including:

• Dickie V’s ABCs and 1-2-3s, Ascend Books (October 2010)
• Living a Dream: Reflections on 25 Years Sitting in the Best Seat, Champaign, IL Sports Publishing LLC (January 1, 2003)
• Dick Vitale’s Fabulous 50 Players and Moments in College Basketball: From the Best Seat in the House During My 30 Years at ESPN, Ascend Books (October 6, 2008)
• Time Out Baby!, Berkley (December 1, 1992)
• Vitale, Simon and Schuster; 1st Edition (1988)
• Dickie V’s Top 40 All-Everything Teams, Masters Press (June 1994)
• Tourney Time: It’s Awesome Baby!, Masters Press (December 1993)
• Holding Court: Reflections on the Game I Love, Masters Press (November 1995)
• Campus Chaos: Why the Game I Love Is Breaking My Heart, Sideline Sports Publishing (December 1999)
• Getting a W in the Game of Life: Using My T.E.A.M. Model to Motivate, Elevate, and Be Great (Oct. 2012)
• Dick Vitale’s Mount Rushmores of College Basketball; Nico 11 Publishing (2018)
• The Lost Season: A Look at What the Journey to the 2020 National Championship Could Have Been (June 2020)

Awards and Achievements

• University of Detroit named their basketball court “Dick Vitale Court” in his honor (2011).
• 2019 Sports Emmy Award – Lifetime Achievement
• 2022 Jimmy V Award
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2008)
• College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2008)
• Little League Museum Hall of Excellence inductee (class of 2012).
• NSMA Hall of Fame (class of 2013)
• New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2016).
• Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (class of 2020).

Dick Vitale Net Worth

Dick Vitale net worth is estimated at around $20 million. His main source of income is from his career as a basketball sportscaster. Vitale’s salary per month with other career earnings is over $3 million annually. His successful career has earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. 

Controversy

In August 2021, Vitale announced that he was undergoing treatment to remove melanoma that had been discovered by doctors. In October of the same year, Vitale also announced that his doctors had diagnosed him with lymphoma which he would seek treatment to combat. 

In December 2021, he was diagnosed with pre-cancerous dysplasia and ulcerous lesions on his vocal cords, and lost his voice for four months after undergoing surgeries. In August 2022, Vitale announced that his doctors had officially declared him “cancer free“. 

In July 2023, he announced that he had been diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and would undergo six weeks of radiation therapy.

Dick Vitale was devastated to lose his coaching position, but it also paved the way for his greatest achievement. Naturally, ESPN would include it.

Vitale’s wife Lorraine pushed him to try the TV studio even though he was hesitant to leave the sidelines. Dickie V became a famous because of his personality and his love of basketball.

However, the legendary broadcaster came dangerously close to giving up on television early in his career. Vitale’s left eye was lost when he was a young kid; it moved to the side after that and, unsurprisingly, caused self-consciousness well into adulthood.

Seth Davis provided an explanation for The Athletic: “One evening in his early career at ESPN, Vitale was leaving the network’s Bristol, Connecticut, studios when he asked a receptionist if there were any messages.”

She informed him that a caller had been upset about his wonky left eye on many occasions. He said, “It felt like a knife went through me.” He attempted to resign, but his superiors dissuaded him.

10 things you didn’t know about Dick Vitale!

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