Replacing a legend is never an easy task, and Adam Zucker is all too familiar with the challenge. While he’s handled this transition gracefully by stepping into the shoes of the late Greg Gumbel, it’s difficult to truly fill those shoes. The role was initially passed to Ernie Johnson for the NCAA Tournament’s opening day, but no one anticipated how swiftly the change would become permanent. Zucker, who had long admired Gumbel as a student at Syracuse, reflected on the surreal nature of stepping into the position.
“It’s still so weird because I was in school at Syracuse, waiting for Greg Gumbel to come on,” Zucker told Damon Amendolara, “to tell me if Syracuse was in or out or where they were going. Where were we going to go do radio or cover it with the TV station that I was at there? The whole thing’s been very strange and sad. He was the greatest. He was so great to me; he was great to everybody.”
When Gumbel took time away from CBS’s tournament coverage last year to attend to personal matters, Zucker filled in. Instead of merely carrying the torch, he leaned on the very man he’d once admired. “When he wasn’t with us last year, he sent me a lot of great encouragement and a lot of host-specific advice about the Selection Show,” Zucker recalled. “‘If it doesn’t pop up at first, just keep going. If for some reason the 10-seed doesn’t show up as you say it, they’ll figure it out. Don’t just sit there waiting for it; keep going.’ Or ‘Remember that there’s a delay on some of the reactions at the schools when you announce their names.’”
“But, it’s a massive vacancy without him here, for all of us, within our hearts,” Zucker added. “He was just the soul of the place, and he was so kind and joyful and funny. It’s, of course, more sad that he’s not here anymore. I filled in for him last year, and I would get texts from him. A lot of us don’t have true closure with his passing. We know what he would want to see and how he would want us to do the job — and that’s what we do.” Gumbel’s departure leaves a gap that can’t truly be filled, but Zucker steps into the role with profound respect for the legacy he inherited.
Every word and every moment Zucker delivers is a tribute to the man who shaped countless careers and touched many lives. As he continues to carry Gumbel’s torch, it’s clear that while the seat may have changed, the heart of CBS Sports remains rooted in the kindness, professionalism, and humility that defined Gumbel’s incredible career.
