A.J. Perez

USA TODAY Sports

Longtime ESPN broadcaster John Saunders has died, the network announced on Wednesday. He was 61.

Saunders died Wednesday morning. The cause of Saunders' passing was not immediately known, ESPN spokesperson Mike Soltys told USA TODAY Sports. Saunders, a native of Canada, had worked at ESPN since 1986 and was one of the network’s most visible and respected anchors.

“John was an extraordinary talent and his friendly, informative style has been a warm welcome to sports fans for decades,” ESPN President John Skipper said in a statement. “His wide range of accomplishments across numerous sports and championship events is among the most impressive this industry has ever seen. More importantly, John was a beloved and devoted family man who cared deeply about people and causes, as evidenced by his long-standing efforts as a passionate board member for The V Foundation for Cancer Research.”

The family of John Saunders also offered this statement.

“This tragic news brings us unspeakable sorrow. John was the patriarch of our family, and we can’t believe he is gone. We are sincerely touched by the outpouring of support and sadness, which is a reflection of the character and integrity that defined him.

“While we don’t yet have all the specifics, John wasn’t feeling well physically in recent days and sadly, he was unresponsive earlier this morning. We appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers for our cherished father, husband, brother and uncle.”

The tributes from colleagues began rolling in moments after Saunders' death was reported.

Saunders most recently served as the host of ABC’s Saturday college football coverage, along with ESPN’s college football and college basketball studio shows. He had been the host of ESPN’s weekly round table show The Sports Reporters since December 2011.

Saunders was one of ESPN’s most versatile talents. He did play-by-play for college basketball and WNBA games. Beyond college football and basketball, Saunders also anchored the network’s coverage of NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and Major League Baseball.

Hannah Storm honors colleague John Saunders with emotional, beautiful eulogy

Saunders was a hockey player before he went into broadcasting. He was an all-star defenseman as a youth in Montreal and attended Western Michigan on a hockey scholarship.

He was close to the late Jim Valvano, the former college basketball coach turned ESPN broadcaster. Saunders was a founding member of The V Foundation and was on the foundation’s board of directors.