Family of Basketball Analyst Chris Spatola, Son-in-Law of ‘Coach K,’ Mourn His ‘Unexpected’ Death at 47

Chris Spatola‘s family is speaking out after his death at 47 on Monday, September 21.

“There are no adequate words to express the sadness our family feels right now,” Amanda Spatola — who is married to Chris’ brother, J.P. Spatola — wrote in an Instagram Story post on September 23 (via the New York Post), including a snapshot of her, J.P., Chris and his wife, Jamie. “Chris was so loved, and will be deeply missed. Grateful we got this night together back in June. Love you Chris.”

Advertisement

ESPN previously announced on X on September 22 that he “passed away unexpectedly.” No cause of death has been announced.

The ESPN basketball analyst is the son-in-law of legendary Duke University college basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski — known as “Coach K” — who led the Blue Devils to multiple championships between 1980 to 2022. Chris was a member of Duke’s basketball staff from 2007 to 2012 and also served as a coach for the gold medal-winning Team USA at the Beijing Olympics.

“There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola,” the Krzyzewski family said in a statement, noting that after playing college basketball for the United States Military Academy at West Point, he was in the Army from 2002 to 2007, during which he was deployed to Iraq.

Advertisement

“Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family,” they continued, per New York Post. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, thoughts, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time. We respectfully ask for privacy as our entire family, particularly [his wife] Jamie and her three beautiful children grieve and process this unimaginable loss.”

Chris joined ESPN as an analyst in 2015, and “brought a unique perspective to ESPN’s college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster,” the network said in their X post. “He was thoughtful,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/family-basketball-analyst-chris-spatola-192406503.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-09-24 19:24:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.