Former @EIUPantherFB Coach Bob Spoo passed away on Monday morning… Spoo led the Panthers program for 25 seasons with 144 career wins and nine FCS playoff appearances…https://t.co/p3dahxjC67 pic.twitter.com/oUz3sDk7iW
— Eastern Illinois Athletics (@EIU_Panthers) October 15, 2018
Bob Spoo, a former head college football coach at Eastern Illinois, has passed away at age 80. Spoo is the winningest coach in school history and a member of the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame and the Eastern Illinois Athletic Hall of Fame.
Spoo’s death was confirmed by the university.
Spoo coached for 25 seasons and had an overall record of 144-131-1. He also served as a quarterbacks coach for the Wisconsin Badgers and Purdue Boilermakers before heading to Eastern Illinois.
During his time at Eastern Illinois, Spoo coached the likes of Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo.
From the school’s release:
Spoo was a fixture on the EIU football sidelines for 25 seasons from 1986-2011. He finished his coaching career as the EIU leader in career wins with 144. His 68 Ohio Valley Conference wins rank fourth all-time among conference head coaches. He was inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Eastern Illinois Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
Spoo was the runner-up for the FCS Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year in 2000. He was named the conference coach of the year four times, earning the honor three times in the OVC and once in the Gateway Football Conference. He led his team to nine FCS playoff appearances which ranked seventh on the FCS all-time list. Spoo coached his teams to five conference championships and had 11 teams finish the season ranked in the top 25. He had seven players drafted and nine former EIU players appeared in an NFL game including former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Spoo was also the National High School Coach of the Year in 1970 as a prep coach in Chicago before heading to the collegiate level.
Our deepest condolences are with the Spoo family and friends during this difficult time.
