NEW YORK -- John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach who has worked as a football broadcaster for more than 30 years, is retiring, NBC announced today.

"It's been such a great ride... the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion .... it still is," Maddden, 73, said in a statement from NBC. "I still love every part of it, the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people... but I know this is the right time."

Madden has been the game analyst for "NBC Sunday Night Football" since 2006. The final game he called was Super Bowl XLIII, in which the Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals for their sixth NFL championship.

In 1969, at age 33, he became head coach of the Oakland Raiders and coached there until 1979, when he started his broadcasting career at CBS.