Chris Spatola, the ESPN college basketball analyst who played at Army, served in Iraq and coached at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski, has died unexpectedly at the age of 47. ESPN and Duke confirmed his death this week. No cause of death has been made public.
Spatola was married to Krzyzewski’s daughter Jamie, and the couple had three children.
From West Point to Iraq
Spatola was a four-year starting guard at Army from 1998 to 2002. He led the Black Knights in scoring three times and finished with 1,543 career points, which ranks 10th in program history, while earning All-Patriot League honours.
After graduating he served on active duty from 2002 to 2007, including a deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
Chris Spatola at Duke and with USA Basketball
Spatola joined Krzyzewski’s staff at Duke in 2007 and stayed until 2012. In that time the Blue Devils won the 2010 national championship and four ACC tournament titles. He also worked as a court coach for the U.S. teams that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, both led by Krzyzewski.
More than a decade on ESPN
Spatola moved into broadcasting and spent more than a decade as a college basketball game analyst for ESPN. In a statement, the network said he had brought “a unique perspective” to its coverage and was respected by colleagues, coaches, players and fans.
The Krzyzewski family described him as a man who served his country and was a devoted husband and father. Fellow ESPN analyst Jay Bilas also paid tribute to him as a devoted family man.
NetSports 247 sends its condolences to Spatola’s family, friends and colleagues.
