Biography of Jim Nantz[ Age, height, Family Wife Kids]

James William Nantz III, known by the name Jim Nantz was born on May 17, 1959. The American sportscaster was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Nantz has worked as a sportscaster on telecasts of several different sports and concerned leagues.

He has presented for the National Football League (NFL), NCAA Division I men’s basketball, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1980s.

Since 1989, Nantz has anchored the coverage of the Master’s Tournament by CBS Sports. Later in 2004, he joined as the play-by-play announcer on the top NFL game by CBS.

In May 2008, he released his first book, “Always By My Side – A Father’s Grace, and also “Sports Journey Unlike Any Other.” In addition to this, Nantz also introduced his private wine label, “The Calling,”  its first vintage, released in 2012.

Jim Nantz is a familiar voice to many sports fans and enthusiasts around the world. He is a  prominent figure in sports. Let us find out more about the sportscaster through this biography, starting with some quick facts.

Quick Facts

Jim Nantz | Early Life, Family, and Education

Jim Nantz was born James William Nantz III on May 17, 1959, in Charlotte, North Carolina. His zodiac sign is Taurus.

He grew up in New Orleans (Louisiana), Colts Neck Township (New Jersey), and Marlboro Township (New Jersey). In Marlboro, he attended Marlboro High School.

He was a reputed athlete at his high school, being the co-captain of the basketball team and the number one player and co-captain of the golf team, and he was a member of the Bamm Hollow Country Club.

Nantz then went to Texas, where he attended the University of Houston. He played on the Houston Cougars men’s golf team of the University of Houston.

He was roommates with Fred Couples and Blaine McCallister, both of who went to become professional golfers.

Jim at a golf tournament

He majored in broadcasting, and around this time at the university, he worked with the CBS Radio Network by transmitting taped interviews to Win Elliot for Elliot’s Sports Central USA weekend reports.

For the fans who are curious learners, well, this is how Nantz had his earliest experience with sports broadcasting.

Jim Nantz | Height and Weight

The sports commentator was a reputed athlete at his high school and the University of Houston. This well explains his amazing athletic body with round-off height and weight.

His height is 6 feet 3 inches, and he weighs about 165 lbs, equal to 75 kg. His hair is dark brownish in color. Nantz is currently 63 years old.

Jim Nantz | Broadcasting Career

Before CBS Sports

In the early 1980s, Nantz started working as a sportscaster and an anchor for KHOU Houston, a television station affiliated to CBS and licensed to Houston, Texas.

On the weekend, he worked as a sports anchor from 1982 to 1985 in Salt Lake City, Utah, for KSL-TV, a television station affiliated with NBC.

While working for KSL-TV, Nantz and Rodney Clark “Hot Rod” Hundley called BYU football games and the Utah Jazz basketball games.

At CBS Sports

In 1985, after joining CBS Sports, Nantz initially started working as a studio host for CBS Sports’ coverage of college basketball and football games.

He also worked for the PGA Tour golf as an on-course reporter and worked as a commentator for NFL games on Westwood One.

When moved to television, he used to call Saturday Night Football games from 1988 to 1990 for the then active CBS Radio Sports.

Jim Nantz with his wife, Courtney Richards

Since 1989, James Nantz has been an anchor for the CBS’ Masters Tournament coverage. From 1991 to 2008, he worked with Billy Packer and commentated for the NCAA Final Four men’s basketball finals.

His analyst from 2008 to 2013 was Clark Kellogg. From 2010 to 2013, the famous basketball head coach and former NBA player Steve Kerr joined them from Turner Sports during the Final Four.

After this, Greg Anthony teamed up with Nantz from 2013 to 2014. Greg Anthony was then suspended, and Bill Raftery and Grant Hill were selected as his replacement to team up with James Nantz.

Besides that, he gained a lot of popularity for roasting NFL player Jamaal Charles who cost his team a win after he coughed up the ball.

The NFL on CBS

From 1998 to 2003, Jim Nantz hosted The NFL Today on CBS, which was the pre-game program for the NFL. After this, in 2004, he became the top play-by-play announcer for The NFL on CBS.

Because of this change, Greg Gumbel was sent to the studio, and Jim Nantz was sent to the stadium booth with Phil Simms.

Nantz then teamed up to work on NFL broadcasts with analyst Hank Stram in 1991 and 1992. Then, while Greg Gumbel was busy with CBS’s American League Championship coverage in 1993, Nantz temporarily filled in for him.

Jim Nantz and Randy Cross called the second-round playoff game between Dallas and Green Bay on CBS.

Nantz handled the play-by-play call of Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007, and this event made him join the elite company of Curt Gowdy, Kevin Harlan, and Dick Enberg as the only play-by-play announcers to be the only ones to call both a Super Bowl and an NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game.

Along with Brent Musburger, James is also one of the two men to host a Super Bowl, announce an NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game, and host The Masters from Butler Cabin. Both of these sportscasters achieved this feat with the CBS.

In a deal with the CBS and NFL Network, Jim Nantz and his broadcast collaborate Phil Simms called the Thursday Night Football games in 2014, with Tracy Wolfson being the sideline reporter for the Thursday games and the Sunday games on CBS.

Afterward, Tony Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, replaced Phil Simms as Nantz’s color commentator for CBS’ NFL telecasts.

Resigning with CBS Sports, New Contract

Well, there were rumors that Jim Nantz would become a free agent this summer if he would not have signed a contract extension with CBS.

Sandy Montag of The Montag Group, who is Nantz’s longtime agent, confirmed that the old play-by-play announcer had re-upped an extension deal with the network where he works as a lead announcer on everything from the NFL and NCAA men’s basketball tournament to the Masters and PGA Tour.

In February 2021, Nantz summoned his second Super Bowl with Tony Romo and sixth overall. Nantz has remained the lead voice for March Madness since 1991.

Additionally, Tony Romo, who has worked alongside Jim Nantz and received appraisals for his knack for estimating the plays that teams would run, signed a deal with CBS worth $17 million a year, probably the largest sports analyst contract in TV history.

Media appearances

Jim has appeared on The Price is Right to present a Showcase prize that involves the CBS Sports properties. In the 1996 film Tin Cup, Nantz made an appearance as himself.

He also appeared in episodes of several different television series. These shows include Arliss, Yes, Dear, Criminal Minds, and How I Met Your Mother.

His appearances on How I Met Your Mother took place in episode 14 and episode 15 of the 5^th season and episode 24 of the 9^th season.

In a short-lived series named Clubhouse, Nantz played an announcer for a fictional baseball team. His voice was used in the 1998 film Scrapple.

Nantz has also been the guest commentator in the final round of The Open Championship for the BBC since 2009.

In the 1999 golf game, Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge, which was launched for PC, Jim Nantz and Garry McCord teamed up to provide an extensive commentary.

Jim also recorded for his commentary that is featured in the arcade game series named Golden Tee Golf.

Nantz, along with Phil Simms, before Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis replaced them, had been the commentators featured on the famous Madden NFL series from 2012 to 2016.

Nantz joined the Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Papa John’s Pizza founder John Schnatter in an ad for the pizza company in 2013.

Jim Nantz | Relationships, Wife, and Children

Nantz lived in Westport, Connecticut, with his first wife, Ann-Lorraine “Lorrie” Nantz, and the couple had a daughter named Caroline. After being together for 26 long years, the Ann-Lorraine and James, unfortunately, parted their ways in 2009.

After their divorce, the court asked James to pay Ann-Lorraine for child support and alimony, and the amount he had to pay was $916k a year.

Before the final announcement of the divorce, James accepted that he had dated a 29-year girl.

Although the judge concluded that this particular event had nothing to do with the marriage complications and that the relationship between Ann-Lorraine and James had gotten bad years before the extramarital affair.

Jim Nantz with his wife, Courtney Richards

Afterward, in a ceremony held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California, Jim Nantz got married to Courtney Richards on June 9, 2012.

Not to mention, the event included a star-studded guest list (including Bush, Arnold Palmer, Robert Kraft, and Tom Brady).

The couple has stayed together ever since and has two kids, a daughter named Finely Cathleen Nantzborn, born in 2014, and a son named Jameson Nantz, born in 2016. Besides that, he resides in a beautiful house with his family located at Pebble Beach.

Nantz carries a laminated picture of burnt toast in his wallet

Wait, what? But yes, you read it right. The recommendable play-by-play talent with a delicate yet strong voice not only carries a macho personality but also a laminated picture of burnt toast.

Nantz is a guy who loves food specially breakfast, and wants the toast burnt to a crisp but never had it back when ordered in restaurants. So, he took responsibility for the toast and carried a laminated picture of burnt toast in his wallet.

Nantz said, “I’m a breakfast guy: three eggs scrambled, with bacon and wheat toast, burnt,” to Golf Digest in 2016.

“The problem is that it never came back burnt. For years it would arrive limp and tan, which brought breakfast to a standstill when I sent the toast back.”

Nantz added, ” It was costing me 10 minutes a day, which, multiplied by six days a week, is four hours a month. That’s 48 hours—two full days—per year. My friends, time is currency.”

“My wife, Courtney, got tired of hearing me complain about it. She found a photograph on the Internet of a kitchen toaster ejecting two slices of burnt toast. She minimized it, printed it out, and had it laminated.”

“She insisted I put it in my wallet. When I order, I present the photo to my server. I get some strange looks, but I can assure you, the toast now arrives black and scary, just the way I like it.”

Nantz offering kind words to Dustin Johnson at the Master’s ceremony

Winning the Master is a dream come actual moment for Dustin Johnson.

Infamously known for his stoicism, after having the green jacket slipped onto him by Tiger Woods, during an interview with CBS’ Amanda Ballionis, Dustin depicted how much he loved the game and is filled with emotions when it comes to the tournament.

“As a kid, I always dreamed about being a Masters’s champion. “It’s hard to talk. I’ve never had this much trouble gathering myself. On the golf course, I’m pretty good at it. Out here, I’m not. It’s hard to talk.” Dustin said.

Dustin got choked up in a way that he just could not complete his thoughts which later had Jim Nantz put the whole situation into words.

I think that’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen from Dustin Johnson, right there,” Nantz said.

“You get so many people that question what’s inside players’ hearts. So easy these days to post a thought or a comment on some site or social media. And people feel good about themselves for trying to tear down these talented people who work so hard and the fire that’s inside of them. You just saw it right there. That was just a reflection on just how much it meant, how hard he worked for it.”

Imitating Jim Nantz at Masters impressions

Nantz has remained a long-time commentator of the Masters and is known for his slightly different catchphrases, and every year in the lead-up to Masters, Dan Patrick Show runs their Jim Nantz soundalike competition.

Not only that, Jim Nantz often appears on the show as a guest. There was one guy in 2018 who delivered some phrases in the exact Jim Nantz style with the CBS logo taped onto the chest pocket of his navy blue blazer.

Delivering quick phrases in Jim Nantz style

So, here are some of the quick Jim Nantz phrases that he used, “Ubiquitous nightingale,” “Fred Couples has a supple spine,” “Clint Eastwood climbs the dogwood,” “Is that a gentoo penguin.”

Not to mention, these are just the words that Jim Nantz applies in real life just the minutes before his live Masters Monologue begins.

Reacting to Kobe Bryant Death

Jim Nantz addresses and respects each sport equally and the players as well. He does not leave a chance when it comes to showing solemn respect or honor to some of the brightest stars on the sports field.

After Kobe’s accidental and untimely demise that left all of us in unspoken pain had Jim Nantz start the CBS’ golf coverage with Kobe Bryant tragedy in real-time. He gently acknowledged the news and showed signs of emotions.

Social Media World Reacts To Jim Nantz’s Sunday Performance

Phil Mickelson made news in May 2021, rising as the titleholder of being the oldest golfer to win a major championship. He conquered the PGA Championship at -6, two strokes ahead of Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka.

While Phil was delivering his talent at an older age, CBS’ lead golf announcer, Jim Nantz, gave his power-packed words, ” Phil defeats Father Time!” on the 18th green at the Ocean Course Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Jim Nantz | Net Worth, Annual Salary, and Incomes

Nantz has been active in the broadcasting field for a long time and has appeared in some shows. According to some sources, he earns about $5 million a year from his appearances.

He has spent his earnings in renovation and also a mini-golf course backyard. Jim also released his private wine label, although it is not entirely clear how much he earned from its first vintage release in 2012.

The broadcaster has a net worth of $15 million in 2020, and this amount will surely grow even more, looking at his stardom, reputation, and popularity.

Moreover, with this new extension deal, Nantz must be making more than $6 million. Also, he has his eyes on becoming the first broadcaster to call 50 Masters tournaments for CBS. He would be achieving this feat by age 75 in 2035.

Endorsement deals

Well, nothing much could be retrieved regarding endorsement deals, but Jim Nantz, in today’s date, has stood as one of the recognized commentators by NFL fans.

From college games to Super Bowls, it’s tough to dig out a sport that Nantz has not lent his voice to. Reportedly, he also gets an additional $4 million an adjourned compensation from a deal with the golf company Titleist.

Also, there are rumors that after the existing contract gets expired in the summer of 2021, Nantz is seeking to crack a next deal worth “Tony Romo money.” There are chances that he might call Super Bowl 55 for CBS.

Jim Nantz has also shown immense interest in politics. He recently donated the maximum amount to the Jeb Bush campaign and is a  good friend of the Bush family. Not only that, he has contributed to Joe Lieberman.

While there are some people like Bernie Sanders who believe you don’t need money from the rich to run a campaign, there are certain people who feel at one point in time, we got to meet at the social junction, it is required.

Quotes

• “Sometimes when you think you can’t, you can, and UCONN has won the national championship.”
• “Some have suggested that the battle between Okafor and Schenscher is as good as any in the championship game since Olajuwon and Ewing.”
• “I’m blessed to have great friends, and there are a lot of men in my life who’ve been more than just friends.”–

Jim Nantz | Social Media Presence

Although the main occupation of James Nantz involves a lot of communication, he does not communicate a lot through social media and has no public profiles on social networking websites.

He may use some private profiles to keep up with the news and ongoing, but the profiles are unknown to his fans and listeners.

Jim Nantz | FAQs

Does Jim Nantz play golf?

Yes, Jim Nantz does play and has a great passion for this sport. Well, on 2020 Masters at Augusta National, he played at the Pebble Beach golf course.

Who is Jim Nantz’s ex-wife?

The broadcaster’s ex-wife is Ann-Lorraine Carlsen Nantz.

Has Jim Nantz played for the Patriots?

No, the American sportscaster has not played for the Patriots. However, there is a Patriot player named Jim Nance.

Why does Jim Nantz carry a photo of a burnt toast in his wallet?

The sports broadcaster carried around a photo of a burnt toast in his wallet because he is precise about how he likes his toast. Yes, Jim likes his toast burnt.

Who said “hello, friends” originally?

The phrase was originally said by Nantz.

Did Jim Nantz manage to reveal Tiger Woods‘ return timeline?

Although Nantz was unsuccessful in pushing Woods to reveal his return timeline, he did try his best.

How much is Jim Nantz’s net worth?

Jim Nantz’s net worth for 2021 is $15 million.

Is Jim Nantz retiring?

No, he is not retiring and will be staying at CBS on a new Fox Sports reveals its MLB broadcast teams for the 2021 season, ESPN and ABC reveal their on-air teams for the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland and more.