Charlie Spoonhour
Charlie Spoonhour (1939-2012)
Teams coached: Southwest Missouri State Bears, Saint Louis Billikens, UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
Southwest Missouri State record: 197-81 (.709)
Saint Louis record: 122-90 (.575)
UNLV record: 54-31 (.635)
Overall record^: 578-265 (.686)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 8 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 5 (1986, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2003)
- Summit League Regular Season Champion: 4 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
- Missouri Valley Tournament Champion: 1 (1992)
- Summit League Tournament Champion: 2 (1987, 1989)
Awards:
- Henry Iba Award: 1 (1994)
- Summit League Coach of the Year: 3 (1984, 1987, 1988)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2001-2004 | UNLV |
| 1992-1999 | Saint Louis |
| 1983-1992 | Southwest Missouri State |
| 1981-1983 | Nebraska (asst) |
| 1975-1981 | Southeastern CC |
| 1974-1975 | Oklahoma (asst) |
| 1972-1974 | Moberly JC |
| 1968-1972 | Southwest Missouri State (asst) |
Charlie Spoonhour Facts
- Charles Graham Spoonhour
- Born June 23, 1939
- Died February 1, 2012
- Hometown: Mulberry, Kansas
- Alma Mater: University of the Ozarks (BA, 1961) / University of Arkansas (MA)
- Attended high school in Rogers, AR and then played basketball at Division III University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR
- Started coaching in 1961 at Rocky Comfort HS in Missouri, followed by stints at Bloomfield HS (MO) and Salem HS (MO)
- Joined Bill Thomas’ staff at then-Division II Southwest Missouri State in 1968
- Spent two years as head coach at Moberly JC in Missouri and six years at Southeastern CC in Iowa; 205-63 overall record at the junior college level
- In between those jobs, spent one year as an assistant to Joe Ramsey at Oklahoma; later was an assistant for Moe Iba at Nebraska for two seasons
- Was the head coach at Southwest Missouri State for nine seasons, going to five NCAA Tournaments and two NITs
- Spent seven seasons as the head coach at Saint Louis, going to three NCAA Tournaments and one NIT
- Last coaching job was a two and a half year stint at UNLV, leading the Rebels to two NITs before retiring during the 2003-04 and turning the program over to his son (and assistant), Jay Spoonhour
- Diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2010, later died in 2012 in Chapel Hill, NC
- Survived by his wife, Vicki, two sons and five grandchildren
Charlie Spoonhour Coaching Tree
- Dave Rice (UNLV)
- Jay Spoonhour (Eastern Illinois, UNLV, Wabash Valley)
- Bob Sundvold (Missouri St. Louis, UMKC, Central Missouri)
- Derek Thomas (Western Illinois)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA and Junior College levels
