Are Greg and Bryant Gumbel related? A dive into the Gumbel family
Greg and Bryant Gumbel are biological brothers. Greg Gumbel, who was the older of the two, was a renowned sports broadcaster primarily known for his work with CBS Sports. Bryant Gumbel is a famed television journalist and sportscaster, most notably known for his 15-year tenure as the co-host of NBC's The Today Show.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Greg and Bryant Gumbel were brothers, and both established themselves as prominent figures in American TV broadcasting, often working in sports journalism.
- They are the sons of Richard Dunbar Gumbel, a Cook County probate judge, and Rhea Alice LeCesne, a city clerk.
- The brothers grew up on the South Side of Chicago after their family moved from New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Greg Gumbel passed away on 27 December 2024, at the age of 78, following a battle with cancer.
Profile summary
Full name | Bryant Charles Gumbel | Gregory Girard Gumbel |
Gender | Male | Male |
Date of birth | 29 September 1948 | 3 May 1946 |
Age | 77 years old (as of February 2026) | 78 (at death 2024) |
Zodiac sign | Libra | Taurus |
Place of birth | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
Current residence | New York City, New York, United States | N/A |
Nationality | American | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed | Mixed |
Religion | Christianity | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight | Straight |
Height in inches | 5′9″ | N/A |
Height in centimetres | 175 | N/A |
Hair colour | Grey | Grey |
Eye colour | Brown | Brown |
Father | Richard Dunbar Gumbel | Richard Dunbar Gumbel |
Mother | Rhea Alice (LeCesne) Gumbel | Rhea Alice (LeCesne) Gumbel |
Siblings | Greg Gumbel, Renee Gumbel-Farrahi, Rhonda Gumbel-Thomas | Bryant Gumbel, Renee Gumbel-Farrahi, Rhonda Gumbel-Thomas |
Marital status | Married | Married (until death) |
Wife | Hilary Quinlan | Marcy Kaszynski |
Children | Two (Jillian and Bradley) | One daughter (Michelle) |
Education | Bates College | Loras College |
Profession | TV journalist, sportscaster, TV host | Television sportscaster |
Are Greg and Bryant Gumbel related?
Greg and Bryant Gumbel are biological brothers. They were born in New Orleans to Richard Dunbar Gumbel Jr. and Rhea Alice LeCesne. The family moved to Chicago's South Side when the boys were young, settling in the Hyde Park neighbourhood.
They were raised alongside two sisters, Rhonda Gumbel-Thomas and Renee Gumbel-Farrahi.
Greg and Gumbel’s father worked two jobs to put himself through Georgetown University Law Centre and eventually became a Cook County probate judge. Their mother was a city clerk. Greg and Gumbel's paternal great-great-grandfather was a German-Jewish immigrant from the village of Albisheim.
Source: Getty Images
The Gumbel brothers served as altar boys at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. They were also lifelong rivals in Chicago sports. Greg was a die-hard White Sox fan, while Bryant rooted for the Cubs.
In a 1990 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Greg Gumbel discussed the differences in professional perspective between himself and his brother, Bryant, despite their shared upbringing and education. He said:
We both have calm, reasoned approaches to what we do, which is a direct product of our upbringing and education. But where Bryant may look at his success and think, `It`s because I`m good,` I tend to look at it and say, `It`s because people like what I do.`
Explore more details about them below:
Greg Gumbel
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Gregory Girard Gumbel
- Date of birth: 3 May 1946
- Date of death: 27 December 2024
- Age at death: 78
- Profession: Sportscaster
Gregory Girard Gumbel, Bryant Gumbel's older brother, was born on 3 May 1946. He attended St. Thomas the Apostle Grammar School in the Hyde Park neighbourhood of Chicago and later graduated from the De La Salle Institute in 1963. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967.
Gumbel was an American television sportscaster and broadcasting pioneer best known for his 50-year career with CBS Sports. For over 25 years, he was the face of CBS's college basketball coverage, famously hosting Selection Sunday, the show that revealed the NCAA tournament bracket.
Gumbel hosted the pregame show The NFL Today from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004. He also served as the lead play-by-play announcer for the NFL on CBS, calling two Super Bowls (XXXV and XXXVIII). The legendary sports broadcaster made history in 2001 as the first African-American to call play-by-play for a major U.S. sports championship, Super Bowl XXXV.
Source: Getty Images
Greg also served as a prime-time anchor for the 1994 Winter Olympics and co-anchor for the 1992 Winter and 1996 Summer Games. He passed away at home in Davie, Florida, USA, on 27 December 2024, at the age of 78, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
He is survived by his wife, Marcy, whom he married in 1976 and their daughter, Michelle. According to CBS Sports, when Greg Gumbel passed away, Bryant released a statement praising his brother’s impact on broadcasting:
Greg was a role model and a pioneer. He broke barriers being one of the few Black broadcasters covering sports at the highest levels. He set a high bar for others to follow. His work was beyond reproach as he became one of the most respected broadcasters in the industry.
He continued:
Whether it was play‑by‑play, studio host, or interviewing elite athletes, Greg was as smooth and trustworthy as could be. Greg loved his family, loved The Rolling Stones, and loved CBS. He treated everybody with respect and gratitude. Greg — you will be missed.
Bryant Gumbel
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Bryant Charles Gumbel
- Date of birth: 29 September 1948
- Age: 77 years old (as of February 2026)
- Profession: Television personality, sportscaster
Bryant Gumbel was born on 29 September 1948, making him 77 years old as of 2026. He is a retired American television journalist and sportscaster. Like his brother, Bryant attended St. Thomas the Apostle Grammar School and graduated from the De La Salle Institute. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Russian History from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.
Gumbel is best known for his time on The Today Show, where he served as co-host from 1982 to 1997. He later became the longtime host of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, an investigative sports program he led from 1995 to 2023.
Source: Getty Images
After leaving NBC, Gumbel joined CBS News in 1997, where he hosted the newsmagazine Public Eye and later co-hosted The Early Show. Earlier in his career, he worked at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles before joining NBC Sports in 1975. Gumbel officially retired from broadcasting in December 2023 after the final episode of Real Sports.
In his personal life, he has been married to Hilary Gumbel (formerly Hilary Quinlan) since 2002 and has two children from his first marriage to June Baranco.
FAQs
- Who is Greg Gumbel? Greg was a longtime CBS Sports broadcaster recognised for hosting shows like The NFL Today and college basketball coverage, including March Madness.
- Who is Bryant Gumbel? Bryant is a retired television journalist and sportscaster who co‑hosted NBC’s Today show and later hosted HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel for many years.
- Are Greg and Bryant Gumbel related? Greg and Bryant Gumbel were brothers.
- Who are Greg and Bryant Gumbel's parents? Greg and Bryant Gumbel’s parents were Richard Dunbar Gumbel Jr. and Rhea Alice LeCesne.
- How many Gumbel brothers are there? There are two Gumbel brothers: Greg and Bryant.
- Do the Gumbel brothers have other siblings? They have two sisters: Rhonda Gumbel-Thomas and Renee Gumbel-Farrahi.
- What happened to Bryant Gumbel and his brother? He passed away at the age of 78 on 27 December 2024.
- What was Greg Gumbel's cause of death? The legendary news anchor died from pancreatic cancer.
The story of Greg and Bryant Gumbel extends beyond simply being related by blood. Together, they shaped sports broadcasting across different networks and generations, setting standards for credibility and professionalism in television journalism. Even as their careers have come to a close, their combined influence remains firmly embedded in the history of American broadcasting.
Legit.ng recently published an article about Leta Ramirez and Cliff Lamb, the parents behind the legend CeeDee. They divorced when CeeDee was nine years old, but both remained highly involved in his life and athletic development.
Cliff Lamb is a former collegiate athlete who played football at MidAmerica Nazarene University, and Leta Ramirez worked as a medical assistant at the University of Texas Health Centre. Explore more details about the NFL player's parents in this article.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
