Legendary Announcer Dick Vitale Shares Passing of ‘Dear Friend’ on Friday

Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale firmly established himself as a legendary voice in college basketball. Over nearly five decades, the 85-year-old has become a well-loved figure who continues to inspire through his energy and optimism.

Vitale’s trademark enthusiasm took a somber turn on Friday, though. Vitale, who recently returned to ESPN after a lengthy battle with cancer and signed a new contract through 2028, shared some sad news on social media. The former basketball coach posted about the passing of a dear friend — one who has been part of his journey since Vitale’s early coaching days.

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Vitale’s career as a basketball coach started in the 1960s at the high school level in New Jersey. He entered the college ranks in 1971 as an assistant at Rutgers University under Tom Young. He had a four-year stint with the University of Detroit from 1973 to 1977 before coaching at the professional level with the Detroit Pistons (as both the coach and general manager) in the NBA from 1978-80.

Vitale built numerous professional and personal relationships along the way. One of his closest friends was Richie Adubato, who, like Vitale, also came up through the New Jersey high school basketball scene. When Vitale joined the Pistons, he brought on Adubato as one of his assistant coaches.

On Friday, Vitale announced the passing of his longtime friend.

“Today my dear friend RICHIE ADUBATO passed away. Richie was one of our ‘JERSEY BOYS’ along with @MikeFratello Hubie Brown & yours truly who all chased dreams in coaching .Richie coached on every level – HS -College- @NBA . He’ll be missed but never forgotten .May Richie RIP!” Vitale posted on X.

Adubato had extensive experience in coaching at all levels. In the NBA, he was head coach for the Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic. He also had stints in the WNBA with the New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics.  

Adubato’s family announced his passing on social media on Friday. He was 87.

As Vitale stated in his post, he is mourning the loss of Adubato, whom he considers one of his closest friends, along with veteran coaches such as Mike Fratello and Hubie Brown. Together, this group helped define an era of East Coast basketball culture that produced some of the sport’s greatest minds.

The basketball community joins Vitale in remembering the life of Adubato — a man whose legacy, like Vitale’s, will endure beyond the confines of the basketball court.  

About the author

Paolo Songco

Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports

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Paolo Songco is a senior writer on Athlon Sports’ breaking and trending news team, where he focuses primarily on the NBA and WNBA while also contributing NFL coverage. With more than a decade of experience in sports media, he has written over 20,000 articles and interviewed athletes such as former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and Olympic silver medalist Samantha Peszek. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management Information Systems, Paolo is one of Athlon’s most prolific and trusted voices in basketball coverage.