Daniel Patrick Pugh, known as Dan Patrick professionally is a renowned American sports-caster and a radio personality. Patrick is also an actor. Patrick serves as the host of his own radio show ‘The Don Patrick Show’ that airs on the American radio network Premiere Radio (PRN) as well as its televised version on NBC Sports Network. The show also airs for DIRECTV subscribers on The Audience Network. Patrick serves in the capacity of a co-host on Football Night in America for NBC and is also a senior writer at Sports Illustrated.
In his 18 years at ESPN, Patrick has often served as an anchor of ‘SportsCenter’ on weeknights and on Sundays at 11 p.m. Apart from his role as a sports-caster, Patrick also serves as the host of NBC show ‘Jeopardy’s Sports adaptation, ‘Sports Jeopardy’ that airs on NBCSN. His friendship with popular actor Adam Sandler has resulted in Patrick making cameo appearances in several films including ‘The Longest Yard’, ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’, ‘Grown Ups’, ‘Just Go With It’, ‘Blended’ etc.
Early Life and Education
Patrick was born on 15 March 1956 in Zanesville, Ohio to his homemaker mother Patricia Joann Miller and University of Dayton employee, father John “Jack” Ambrose Pugh and raised in the city of Mason, Warren County, Ohio. Patrick was raised in a big family and has 5 siblings. In 1981, At the age of 25, Patrick lost his father to cancer.
Patrick attended William Mason High School where he played on the school’s basketball team, scoring a personal best 36 points within a single game. He received a basketball scholarship and enrolled into Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky but after 2 years, moved to University of Dayton, where his father worked in the department of computer science.
Career Rise
Patrick started his career as a sports reporter in 1983 when he was hired by CNN. At CNN, he covered several significant sports events including NBA Finals, the World Series and Winter Olympics. Patrick left CNN in 1989 and joined the WHQG radio network in Milwaukee, Wisconsin working for the radio show ‘Bob and Brian’ which featured a daily sports segment by Patrick serving from 1989-1995. He also worked with WLVQ Radio in Columbus, Ohio, making appearance on the network’s morning show titled “Wags and Elliot.”
Patrick joined ESPN in 1989 where he served as an anchor of ‘SportsCenter’. He was given his own radio show on ESPN Radio titled ‘The Dan Patrick Show’. During the 1990’s Patrick, along with Keith Olbermann became synonymous with ESPN and gained world-wide recognition for their work. He aslo served as the host of ‘NBA Nation’ on ABC. He departed from ESPN in August 2007 to become a “Free Agent”, but revived ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ on Premiere Radio Networks in October 2007. In the same month he started serving as a Senior writer for Sports Illustrated. He reunited with Olberman to host Football Night in America’s third season, broadcasted on NBC. Patrick has been hosting ‘Sports Jeopardy’ since 2014 having completed filming 3 seasons and made cameo appearance in several films.
Personal Life
Patrick met Susan White while they were both CNN employees. White served as a producer on the CNN show ‘Inside Politics’. The couple dated for a few years and finally entered into matrimony. Together, they have four children; three daughters named Molly Georgia and Grace and a son named Jack.
In 1997, Patrick was felicitated with a Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Dayton. He was also inducted in the Athletic Hall of Fame by Mason High School in 2000.
Daniel Patrick – Salary and Net Worth
Patrick draws an annual salary of $5 Million and has an estimated net worth of approximately $25 Million.