About: Dick Vitale, college basketball’s top analyst and ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season just after the network’s September 1979 launch following a successful college and pro coaching career. In 2008, Vitale received the sport’s ultimate honor when he was selected as an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His thorough knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, sometimes controversial but never boring style.