University of Pittsburgh alumnus Carroll H. "Beano" Cook passed away in his sleep at the age of 81, according to an announcement made by the university on Thursday morning. Cook was born in Boston prior to his family relocating to a neighborhood in Chatham Village of Duquesne Heights in Pittsburgh when he was a child.
After graduating from Pitt in 1954, Cook went on to become the sports information director at the school from 1956-66 prior to joining ABC Sports as the company's NCAA press director from 1966-74. Cook later went onto became a public relations representative at CBS Sports in 1977 after stints as a sportswriter for the St. Petersburg Times and working in the public relations department of both the Miami Dolphins and Mutual Radio Network.
In 1982, he joined ABC Sports' College Football Association telecasts as a studio commentator. In 1986, he joined ESPN as a college football studio commentator up until the day of his death.