Best-selling author, sports columnist and commentator John Feinstein died Wednesday in McLean, Va. A native New Yorker, Feinstein was a longtime resident of Potomac. He was 69.
Feinstein worked at The Washington Post for over 40 years starting in news then moving to sports quickly establishing himself as one of the most important sportswriters, columnists and voices in the country.
Feinstein wrote over 40 books including A Season on the Brink – considered one of the greatest sports books of all-time – about Bobby Knight and the University of Indiana basketball team and A Good Walk Spoiled chronicling life on the PGA Tour.
Former University of Maryland head coach Gary Williams told MCM, “John loved all sports and was above everyone else in his ability to put down his thoughts on paper. He was true to himself and would never compromise his thoughts in a debate. John loved friendly confrontations.”
“He was a major force in sports journalism and will be missed,” George Solomon, former sports editor at The Washington Post, told MCM.
Feinstein appeared at the Gaithersburg Book Festival a few times to talk about his latest book.
He was one of the organizers of the BB&T Classic, the Washington-based college basketball event held annually from 1995 to 2017 that benefited the Children’s Charities Foundation.
Feinstein was inducted into at least four halls of fame including the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
Feinstein was probably at his best and most comfortable covering college basketball especially March Madness. What turned out to be his last column – about Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo – was published in The Washington Post Thursday, completed the day before he died.
Feinstein is survived by his wife Christine and three children – two from a previous marriage – and a sister.
MCM spoke with Feinstein in February of 2019 when he was a guest on the podcast MoCo’s Most Famous with Joe Yasharoff. Feinstein shares personal stories about Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and much more.
