Acclaimed sportswriter John Feinstein, author of 'A Season on the Brink,' dies at 69

Columnist and author John Feinstein wrote 44 books covering college basketball, college football, golf and tennis among many other sports during his career. (Image via The Amy Doner Group Celebrity Speakers)

Renowned author and columnist John Feinstein has died at the age of 69. Feinstein's brother confirmed his death to the Washington Post, where he was a columnist and worked as a police reporter early in his career.

Most recently, he filed a Thursday column for the Post on Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo, a day before the Spartans are scheduled to play in the 2025 Big Ten tournament.

Feinstein authored 44 books during his career — 23 of which were New York Times bestsellers — on virtually every sport, including college basketball, college and pro football, baseball, tennis, golf and the Olympics.

He is perhaps best known for "A Season on the Brink," published in 1986, which chronicled the 1985-86 Indiana University men's basketball team and head coach Bob Knight, providing what is considered the definitive portrayal of the often controversial Knight.

That Indiana team went on to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament but won the national championship the following season. "A Season on the Brink" was eventually adapted into an ESPN TV film in 2002.

I kept hoping this wasn't true. but legendary sportswriter and one of my closest friends John Feinstein has died suddenly. distinguished career at Washington Post, 45 books including Season on the Brink, A Good Walk Spoiled and my favorite children's book of all time, Last Shot.… — Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) March 13, 2025

Feinstein's celebrated books include "Hard Courts" (1990), depicting a year on the men's and women's professional tennis tours; "A Good Walk Spoiled" (1995), which followed 17 professional golf players during a year on the PGA Tour; and "A Civil War," (1996) telling the story of the 1995 Army-Navy game and the season that preceded the annual rivalry game.

Later in his career, Feinstein wrote several young adult mystery novels that took place in sports settings such as the Final Four, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, the World Series and the Super Bowl.

John Feinstein was an absolute giant. A talented, dogged reporter, brilliant writer, the most accomplished author in the history of sports journalism. More than that he was my friend, my mentor, my college professor and someone I looked up to and always sought out for advice,… — Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 13, 2025

In addition to his writing, Feinstein was also a broadcaster, hosting a show on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio channel before moving to CBS Sports Radio, and made frequent appearances on NPR, ESPN and the Golf Channel, along with numerous sports radio and television talk shows.

As news of Feinstein's death began to circulate, many of his colleagues and admirers posted tributes and condolences on social media. More are sure to come.

Feinstein received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. He was also inducted into the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame, the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the D.C. Basketball Hall of Fame and the Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

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