From Army to ESPN, Chris Spatola was a ‘total badass’ who never stopped winning people over

“A total badass.”

That’s how ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas remembers Chris Spatola.

Spatola, who died unexpectedly Sept. 21 at age 47, built a remarkable life that stretched far beyond the basketball court. He was an Army standout, a U.S. Army veteran, a respected broadcaster for ESPN and SiriusXM, and the son-in-law of legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

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News of his death has left the college basketball world reeling. Friends, colleagues and former teammates have flooded social media with stories of his generosity, humility and competitive spirit.

Bilas counts himself among them.

“Devastated and heartbroken,” he said, mourning the loss of “a treasured friend.”

“Chris was the most solid guy that you could ever meet,” Bilas told USA TODAY Sports. “High character, thoughtful and he was selfless. He wasn’t the first to speak, but when he spoke, it was always thoughtful and measured.”

That’s how Army basketball teammates remembered Spatola, too.

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“You wouldn’t hear him speak unless he had something really important to say,” George Tatum recalled of his backcourt mate Spatola, three years his junior. “To see Chris come out of his shell and be such a great commentator and a star on TV, it really warmed my heart to see him finally coming into his own with that profession.”

Rick Schultz was the Army radio play-by-play announcer for two seasons, including Spatola’s freshman year. Five years ago in Syracuse, the pair ran into one another at a hotel, and Schultz asked him: Did you ever imagine you would be on the broadcasting side? Spatola shook his head no and said, “I never had any idea.”

“It’s such a tragedy,” said Pat Harris, who coached Spatola at West Point for four seasons but knew him years earlier as a Duke camper. “I still haven’t wrapped my arms around the loss of Chris. It still hasn’t set in. It’s almost like you think it’s a hoax.”

Harris wasn’t the coach who recruited Spatola, a product of Babylon, Long Island, to the U.S. Military Prep School for the 1997-98 season (it was previous coach Dino Gaudio) but he certainly benefited from the 6-1, gangly kid who led with…

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Publish date : 2026-09-24 00:13:00

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