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Tributes accumulated rapidly for Chris Spatola, a popular ESPN college basketball analyst who died Monday. He was 47.

Spatola is the son-in-law of legendary former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and was an assistant coach with the Blue Devils from 2007 to 2012. He married Krzyzewski’s daughter, Jamie, and the couple had three children together.

The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

“There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola,” the Krzyzewski family said in a statement through Duke. “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. We respectfully ask for privacy as our entire family, particularly Jamie and her three beautiful children, grieve and process this unimaginable loss.”

Spatola served in the U.S. Army after playing basketball at Army and studying at the U.S. Military Academy from 1998-2002. He deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for exceptional combat performance and the Army Commendation Medal for outstanding leadership.

As a player, Spatola was a four-year starter at guard and twice was named All-Patriot League. He commented on his military service for ESPN Press Room in 2018:

“Serving in the Army has made me better in every facet of my life — a better husband, father, professional,” Spatola said. “It exposed me to adversity, how to react to and deal with tough times and situations, and showed me that teams are better when you’re more concerned about serving others, serving the teammate to your right and left, and serving the mission. It forced me to realize there is no substitute for being prepared … and showed me that character matters.”

Spatola was on the Duke coaching staff in 2010 when the Blue Devils won one of their five national championships under Coach K. Soon after leaving Duke, Spatola was hired by ESPN and SiriusXM. He called games and appeared in studio for ESPN for the last 13 years.

“Chris Spatola brought a unique perspective to ESPN’s college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster,” ESPN wrote in a statement. “He was thoughtful, prepared and passionate about the sport, earning the respect of colleagues, coaches, players and fans alike. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Fellow analysts flooded social media with an outpouring of praise.

“I am devastated over the passing of my friend and colleague Chris Spatola,” Jay Bilas wrote on Instagram. “Chris was a wonderful human being. A point guard at West Point, Chris was … a man of great humility and unusually high character. A great family man that was devoted to his wife Jamie and their wonderful family. Chris was selfless .… a fabulous colleague and knowledgeable basketball man. With Chris, it was never about him, it was only about the game, the players, the coaches, and the fans. Heartbroken beyond words to lose such a great friend, yet grateful beyond words to have known him.”

Longtime basketball analyst and Duke graduate Seth Davis also commented on Spatola’s friendship.

“I could not possibly come up with the words to describe how shocked and devastated I am to learn of Chris Spatola’s untimely passing. It will never make sense or seem real. Chris was one of the all time great dudes. A terrific broadcaster but most of all a treasured friend who absolutely adored and doted on his family…. May his memory be a blessing.”

I headed to Eurocamp for the last week in August to enjoy the last of the summer sunshine, and found a lively park packed with plenty for the kids to do and an impressive location to explore Normandy

Finding a holiday that suits my family is a tough call. The age gap between my kids means I have a primary school aged child who wants to go to kids clubs and make friends by the pool, while my teenager would happily emerge at noon and sit on a sunlounger scrolling through their phone all day.

Eurocamp felt like the type of holiday that could be an excellent compromise. You get the convenience of a caravan break, separate rooms for the kids and living space, yet still get the entertainment for younger ones.

We picked Eurocamp La Vallée for a week at the end of August, and its location about three hours from Calais made it an easy journey down. I hadn’t been on a holiday via ferry for a while and forgot just how chilled it is compared to taking the kids on a plane. You can load up the car the night before, devices can be charged in the car, and once you’re onboard you aren’t stuck in a tiny seat for hours. Driving in Northern France is incredibly easy too, with flat, wide toll roads that had barely any traffic.

Arriving at Eurocamp we got a friendly welcome and drove through the maze of caravans, lodges, and tipi tents of various grades, trying not to run over the unsupervised children who’d occasionally dash into our path. Our caravan was a Premium Exclusive, which was set on a spacious area of the park and had its own little garden area with loungers and parking.

The main difference between accommodation in UK and French holiday parks is size. While our mobile home was clean and well-equipped, it was definitely smaller than accommodation at British parks. There’s an open plan area with a kitchen, which surprisingly managed to fit in every utensil known to man and a dishwasher, and a plasticky seating area, but it’s clear that the accommodation is designed for those who don’t want to spend their evenings sitting indoors and watching TV.

While the inside is compact, the outdoor terrace more than made up for any lack of space. Our wooden decking area had outdoor tables and chairs, a big comfy outdoor sofa, and a flat top griddle which was fabulous for cooking outside. We’d often spend the evenings drinking wine and playing cards on the deck as it got dark.

But the big draw of Eurocamp isn’t necessarily the accommodation. It’s the facilities and entertainment, which were definitely much livelier than we expected. Outside the kids’ club there was a daily timetable of events looked after by the colourfully dressed animation team, and separate activities for younger and older kids, so teenagers aren’t stuck doing crafts with a bunch of four year olds.

And of course, there are the pools, which in La Vallée were particularly impressive. There was an outdoor pool area with lazy river, a covered indoor pool, some rather terrifying looking flume things, and a big splash zone for younger kids.

Unfortunately, sunbed wars had broken out in the resort, and the lifeguards seemed reluctant to play the role of peacekeeper. The first morning we arrived, half an hour after the pool opened I found the sole remaining sunbed without a towel draped over it, only for a sunburned man to tell me “that’s my kid’s sunbed, my love”. I thought about arguing with him, especially for calling me ‘my love’, but was being glared at by a five year old in a Minecraft towel whose lounger I’d so rudely tried to take. It was a common theme of the week, rows of sunbeds with nothing but a scrunchie or pair of goggles to keep them occupied.

Despite the lack of sunbeds, the pool was much enjoyed by the kids, who swam in circles for hours and took part in the noisy dance and exercise sessions led by the seemingly infatiguable animation team.

The only downside to the constant activities is that it can be noisy. I’m travelling with two kids, so I’m under no illusion that I’ll be resting on holiday, but it can be an overstimulating environment at times. I sat with my espresso on the terrace one morning only for the thudding sounds of Timber by Pitbull to drift through the park at 10am. During an afternoon lull, I went to read my book and maybe take a cheeky nap, only for the sounds of Lady Marmalade to suddenly blast through the park. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? You won’t get much coucher, alone or otherwise, before midnight.

But the upside to the lively environment is that the kids pretty much entertain themselves, reverting to a feral state where they run around barefoot and make friends from all over Europe who teach them French swear words. There were bouncy castles and a playground for the kids to enjoy in the evening, plus the mainstay of all French holidays, ping pong.

The mini disco also impressed my youngest, as it involved some guy dressed as a cat chasing the kids around in circles, and the evening entertainment was fairly basic but kept everyone happy. Sadly, we had to face it sober as the bar service was laidback, to say the least, so we mostly drank our own stash from the supermarket.

Location-wise, Eurocamp La Vallée is close to everything you’d want from a French holiday. There are the Normandy beaches, World War 2 history sites, seaside towns, and utterly charming rural villages just a short drive away. So if you’re looking for a holiday where your kids can join a Lord of the Flies-style pack and you find yourself increasingly relaxed about it as the week goes on, then Eurocamp is a winner.

Book the holiday

Seven nights from Saturday 3rd April 2027 (Easter) staying in a Comfort two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to four guests, from £331.87 per party. Book at eurocamp.co.uk.

Seven nights from Saturday 3rd July 2027 (School summer holidays) staying in a Comfort two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to four guests, from £856.80 per party. Book at eurocamp.co.uk.

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