Renowned Sports Writer Dies at 69

John Feinstein, one of the country's foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, including the groundbreaking A Season on the Brink about college basketball coach Bob Knight, died unexpectedly on Thursday. Feinstein was 69. He died of natural causes at his brother's home in McLean, Virginia, according to Robert Feinstein, who said he discovered John's body, per the AP.

• John Feinstein was a full-time reporter for the Washington Post from 1977 to 1991; a commentator for outlets such as ESPN (where he made regular appearances on The Sports Reporters) and the Golf Channel; and a voter for more than 20 years in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. He remained with the Post as a contributing columnist, and he also hosted satellite radio programs on SiriusXM.

• "He was very passionate about things," Robert Feinstein said. "People either loved him or hated him—and equally strongly."
• Feinstein was comfortable writing fiction and nonfiction and took on an array of sports, including golf and tennis, but was known most for his connection to college basketball due to A Season on the Brink. He took a leave of absence from the Post in 1985 to embed with Knight's Indiana team. The coach's reputation for having a hot temper was well established by then, Feinstein effectively portrayed the personal relationships Knight had with his players, which alternated between warm and abusive. "I can't possibly overstate how important Knight was in my life," Feinstein wrote in the Post after the coach's death in 2023.

• Feinstein, a Duke University graduate, wrote more than 40 books, including A Good Walk Spoiled (1995), about professional golf, and A Civil War (1996), about the Army-Navy football game. After that book's publication, he worked for many years as a radio commentator for Navy football. Feinstein also wrote sports novels aimed at younger readers.
• Feinstein was working until the time of his death. He'd been in the Washington area this week to cover the Atlantic 10 Tournament ahead of March Madness, and he filed a column for the Post about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo that appeared online on Thursday.
• In addition to Robert, John Feinstein is survived by his wife, Christine; two daughters and a son; and his sister, Margaret. More here.

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