WASHINGTON — John Feinstein, one of many nation’s foremost sports activities writers and the writer of quite a few bestselling books, together with the groundbreaking “A Season on the Brink” about faculty basketball coach Bob Knight, died unexpectedly Thursday. Feinstein was 69.
He died of pure causes at his brother’s residence in McLean, Va., in keeping with Robert Feinstein, who mentioned he found John’s physique.
John Feinstein was a full-time reporter for The Washington Put up from 1977 to 1991, a commentator for shops corresponding to ESPN and the Golf Channel and a voter for greater than 20 years within the AP Prime 25 males’s faculty basketball ballot. He remained with the Put up as a contributing columnist, and he additionally hosted satellite tv for pc radio applications on SiriusXM.
“He was very passionate about things,” Robert Feinstein mentioned in a phone interview. “People either loved him or hated him — and equally strongly.”
John Feinstein — all the time a storyteller, whether or not by way of the written phrase or when chatting with different journalists in an area’s media room or press field — was working till the time of his dying. He was in Washington this week to cowl the Atlantic 10 Event, and he filed a column for the Put up about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo that appeared on-line Thursday.
Feinstein was snug writing about an array of sports activities, together with golf and tennis, however he was recognized most for his connection to school basketball due to “A Season on the Brink.” He took a go away of absence from the Put up in 1985 to embed with Knight’s Indiana staff, and the e-book highlighted the writer’s aptitude for the dramatic and skill to seize his topics’ personalities.
Knight’s fame for having a scorching mood was well-established by then, and Feinstein introduced it to life. Feinstein additionally successfully portrayed the private relationships Knight had along with his gamers, which alternated between heat and abusive.
Feinstein went on to put in writing greater than 40 books, together with “A Good Walk Spoiled” (1995), about skilled golf, and “A Civil War” (1996), in regards to the Military-Navy soccer recreation. After that e-book’s publication, he labored for a few years as a radio commentator for Navy soccer.
“The Ancient Eight,” about Ivy League soccer, was revealed final yr. Feinstein additionally wrote sports activities novels geared toward youthful readers.
Along with Robert, John Feinstein is survived by his spouse, Christine, daughters Brigid and Jayne, and son Danny, in addition to a sister, Margaret.