Andy Reid and Chiefs pay tribute to team radio producer Dan Israel, who died Thursday
When the Chiefs advanced to Super Bowl LIX, it was the fifth time in six years they had played on the NFL’s biggest stage.
All those playoff games meant extra work through the years for those who call the action on the Chiefs’ radio network. But executive producer Dan Israel was thrilled to be in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, as he shared in a post on X.
“Never gets old,” Israel wrote with a photo of the field at the Superdome.
Chiefs radio voice Mitch Holthus announced that Israel died Thursday following a long battle with cancer. That he was at even one Super Bowl was an incredible feat.
As Israel told KCTV-5’s Neal Jones a few days before Super Bowl LIX, doctors were not optimistic when Israel was diagnosed in 2014 with colon cancer that had spread to his lungs.
“We just didn’t know how long we would have him,” Holthus told Jones. “We thought 2015 might be it.”
Instead, Israel stayed on the job for more than a decade and worked those five Super Bowls. He touched those within the Chiefs organization, many of whom shared tributes Thursday.
“I was heartbroken to hear about the loss of Dan Israel,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on the team’s website. “Over the last several years, I watched Dan battle this disease with strength and a positive attitude. Dan was the first person I would interview with after games.
“No matter how he was feeling, he always put that aside to get that interview in with a positive spin for our fans. He was a huge part of the Chiefs Radio Network and the Chiefs football team. I loved Dan Israel, and he will be missed by the Chiefs organization but never forgotten.”
“Still processing,” Holthus wrote on X. “It’s been a rough 7 days and claiming Psalm 34:18. We lost him this morning at 4:20 but we will never ever lose him in our memories and our hearts.”
Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said on the team’s website: “My family and I are deeply saddened by the loss of Dan Israel. Dan was an integral part of our organization for 35 seasons, and his work as executive producer of the Chiefs Radio Network helped bring the game to life for millions of listeners across Chiefs Kingdom. Dan was dedicated, he was kind, and he brought joy into our building each day.
“Through his battle with cancer over the past ten years, these qualities served as an inspiration to his coworkers and Chiefs fans alike. We will certainly miss him, and we will keep his family in our prayers.”
