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Duke basketball news: Mike Krzyzewski’s son-in-law, ESPN analyst Chris Spatola dies appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The son-in-law of legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (better known as Coach K), ESPN analyst Chris Spatola, died suddenly at 47 years old.
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ESPN made the sad announcement on Wednesday, Sep. 23. Spatola, a former guard at Army, unexpectedly died on Monday, Sep. 21.
“Chris Spatola brought a unique perspective to ESPN’s college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster,” ESPN’s statement read. “He was thoughtful, prepared and passionate about the sport, earning the respect of colleagues, coaches, players and fans alike. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
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Duke also issued a statement, saying, “There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola. Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family.”
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Spatola had been with ESPN as an analyst since 2015. Before that, he was a four-year starter at West Point. He led the team in scoring in three of his four years there, and he is in 10th place on Army’s all-time career points list, having scored 1,543 in his career.
He served on active duty from 2002 to 2007 after graduating and was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spatola was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for exceptional combat performance. Additionally, he received the Army Commendation Medal for outstanding leadership.
After serving, he joined Coach K’s staff at Duke, remaining there until 2012. He was part of the staff when Duke won the 2010 national championship, and he saw the team win four ACC tournament titles. Spatola was also a court coach for US teams that took home gold medals at the 2008…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-news-mike-krzyzewskis-142955221.html
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Publish date : 2026-09-23 14:29:00
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