The journalism world received some devastating news as sports columnist and author John Feinstein died at the age of 69 on March 13. Former Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski had a great relationship with Feinstein, and he shared an emotional message with ESPN’s Pete Thamel about the late journalist.
“John was brilliant. He was one of the best writers for sports of all time,” Krzyzewski said. “We were great friends. I loved John. But I knew he was polarizing. You loved him or hated him. He understood that. He handled it well……He is that because he was so damn talented. You don’t become polarizing if you’re mediocre.
“We had a really, great relationship. He would always call me ‘Captain?’ That’s because when I left the military, I was a captain. Whenever he would say Captain, it was putting me in that place. You’re not this Coach K (big-timer). And whatever we talked about. It was at that level.
“Captain. No one has ever called me captain my whole life except John.”
Sports columnist John Feinstein passes away
Feinstein was a sports columnist for the Post, but his career started as a night police reporter. He was known for his college basketball work, but he wasn’t limited to college football, golf, and the Olympics. He also wrote for the Golf Digest and was on several radio programs.
As an author, Feinstein wrote 48 books, with 23 of them making the New York Times bestseller list. His first book, A Season on the Brink, spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Times’ bestsellers list.
He was honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, and also in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.
Feinstein died of natural causes at his brother’s house in Virginia.
“He was very passionate about things,” Feinstein’s brother, Robert, said. “People either loved him or hated him – and equally strongly.”
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