Spatola, ESPN college basketball analyst and former Army guard, dies at 47 — SkimNews
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- Chris Spatola, an ESPN college basketball analyst and former Army starting guard, died unexpectedly Monday at age 47, the network announced.
- ESPN said Spatola brought a unique perspective shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster, earning respect from colleagues, coaches, players and fans.
- At West Point, Spatola was a four-year starter who led Army in scoring three seasons and ranks No. 10 all-time on the program's career points list with 1,543 points.
- After graduating, Spatola served on active duty from 2002 to 2007, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and earning the Joint Service Commendation Medal for exceptional combat performance and the Army Commendation Medal for outstanding leadership.
- Mike Krzyzewski's Duke staff included Spatola from 2007 to 2012, a span in which the Blue Devils won the 2010 national title and four ACC tournament titles.
- Team USA won gold at the 2008 Olympics and 2010 FIBA World Championship with Spatola serving as a court coach.
- Duke issued a statement calling Spatola "such an important part of our family"; he and Krzyzewski's daughter Jamie had three children.
Why it matters: Spatola's death at 47 leaves simultaneous gaps across college basketball coverage, the Duke coaching tree and the Krzyzewski family itself. He moved from an Army combat deployment to a national title ring at Duke, Olympic gold as a court coach and an ESPN chair in under two decades — a résumé the network itself said gave its college basketball coverage a "unique perspective."
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