“Devastated”: ESPN’s Rece Davis Pens Heartbreaking Message After Colleague Chris Spatola’s Death
Chris Spatola had a way of making basketball feel bigger than the game itself. He had been a player at Army, an Army officer, a Duke coach, and eventually a familiar voice on ESPN. But to the people who knew him, he was the guy who brought energy into the room, talked about his family, and still looked genuinely fired up when it was time to call another game. That’s how Rece Davis remembers him.
“Devastated to hear the news of the loss of Chris Spatola,” Rece Davis wrote on X after ESPN announced Chris Spatola’s unexpected death at 47. “Brilliant, funny, dedicated to his family, hoops, and his craft of coaching and broadcasting. My prayers are with his beautiful family. I’ll remember him like this-coming out of practice-fired up for a game.”
Chris Spatola passed away Monday, according to ESPN. The network did not provide details about his death. What followed was an outpouring from the college basketball community, with colleagues remembering a man who seemed to bring the same enthusiasm whether he was sitting behind a microphone or standing on a basketball court.
For Rece Davis, Chris Spatola was a longtime professional colleague and friend. His path to ESPN was anything but typical. He spent four years at Army from 1998 to 2002 and became a four-year starter. He led the Black Knights in scoring three times and finished his career with 1,543 points, 10th on Army’s all-time scoring list. Then came military service.
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After Army, Chris Spatola spent five years in the U.S. military. Part of that time took him to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He never really left that part of his life behind. In 2018, he was getting ready to call the Army-Duke game on Veterans Day when he spoke about what his Army years meant to him.
“I’m so proud to be a military veteran and to say that I was a small part of what I consider to be the best team in the world,” he said at the time. “I’m grateful to have worn a uniform and to have had the opportunity to represent this great country both here at home and abroad.”
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After the military, Chris Spatola found his way back to basketball, this time at Duke. He joined Mike Krzyzewski’s staff in 2007 and stayed there until 2012. He was around when the Blue Devils won the 2010 national championship and also picked up four ACC tournament titles during that run.
Chris Spatola also worked with USA Basketball, helping on teams that won gold at the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Duke was personal for him, too. He married Mike Krzyzewski’s daughter, Jamie, and they had three children. So this was not just the loss of a former coach or colleague for the Krzyzewski family. It was family.
“There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola,” the family said. “Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, thoughts, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time.”
The family made that clear in its statement, describing the loss as heartbreaking and asking for privacy as Jamie and their three children try to process it.
Chris Spatola eventually moved into broadcasting, joining ESPN and becoming a regular presence in college basketball coverage. He also worked with SiriusXM and built a reputation that followed him from one broadcast to the next. His colleagues remembered that side of him, too.
But Rece Davis’ image of Chris Spatola may say the most. Just him coming out of practice, ready for the next game, fired up. At 47, that energy is what college basketball will now have to remember without him.
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