After 25 years as NBC’s prime-time Olympic host, Bob Costas and NBC have announced that the Olympic hosting torch is being passed on to Mike Tirico. Tirico’s duties will begin with the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, although it won’t be his first Olympic showing. Tirico got his feet wet in Olympic broadcasting serving as the NBC’s daytime host for the 2016 Games in Rio.
Costas broke the news on “The TODAY Show” earlier today. “I’m going to be like the rest of the country, watching Mike Tirico, who will be an able successor in Korea for the Winter Olympics beginning a year from today,” explained Costas to TODAY host Matt Lauer.
The two broadcasters share a special connection as they both received degrees through Syracuse University, with Tirico being the first recipient of the annual scholarship in Costas’ name.
When asked about Costas, Tirico mentioned that he was “someone who I grew up idolizing. I went to Syracuse in large part for college because Bob did. I received a Bob Costas scholarship 30 years ago.”
An Olympic fixture since the 1992 Games in Barcelona, the exuberant Costas fittingly concluded his Olympic hosting career with the finale of two legendary Olympic careers, that of Michael Phelps and sprinter Usain Bolt.
NBC Olympics executive producer Jim Bell added that, “Bob has long been the gold-standard of Olympic hosts. We thank him for his umatched work on the signature event in sports television, and we’re thrilled to have Mike, with decades of big-event experience, on our team and excited to step in.”
The 27-Emmy award winning broadcaster described the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Games in Atlanta as one of the most memorable moments during his tenure. Costas explained,
I always go with Muhammad Ali lighting the torch in 1996 in Atlanta because it stands alone. When he stepped out of the shadows and Janet Evans handed him that torch and you saw him trembling that way, somehow even in that condition, he was just as charismatic and magnetic as he’d ever been.
Costas will continue to serve NBC in multiple roles between NBC News and NBC Sports.
Read more from The TODAY Show here.
I’ll sure miss Bob! Enjoy your time off.
Gonna miss that Gaines Costas chemistry. Big time!
Good bye Bob.
I always liked Tirico when he did the NFL.
No, Bob can’t leave!! No Bob Costas, no Michael Phelps. Olympics are ruined for me!
I will surely miss you, Bob!!!! Hoping Mike can fill your shoes!!!!
Bob and Olympics is linked together in my head! Thank you Bob !
Hi Mike! Welcome.