Bob Spoo

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1937–2018)}}{{For|the academic|Robert Spoo}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Bob Spoo

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|11|2}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|10|15|1937|11|2}}

| death_place = Rockford, Illinois, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1956–1958

| player_team1 = Purdue

| player_positions = Quarterback

| coach_years1 = 1961

| coach_team1 = Fenwick HS (IL) (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1962

| coach_team2 = St. Laurence HS (IL)

| coach_years3 = 1963–1966

| coach_team3 = Loyola Academy (IL) (backfield)

| coach_years4 = 1967–1972

| coach_team4 = Loyola Academy (IL)

| coach_years5 = 1973–1977

| coach_team5 = Wisconsin (QB)

| coach_years6 = 1978–1984

| coach_team6 = Purdue (QB)

| coach_years7 = 1985–1986

| coach_team7 = Purdue (OC)

| coach_years8 = 1987–2005

| coach_team8 = Eastern Illinois

| coach_years9 = 2007–2011

| coach_team9 = Eastern Illinois

| overall_record = 144–131–1 (college)

| bowl_record = 1–8 (NCAA D-I-AA/FCS playoffs)

| tournament_record =

| championships = 1 Gateway Football (1995)
4 OVC (2001–2002, 2005, 2009)

| awards = Gateway Football Coach of the Year (1995)
3× OVC Coach of the Year (2001, 2005, 2009)

| coaching_records =

}}

Robert Allen Spoo (November 2, 1937 – October 15, 2018) was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Eastern Illinois University from 1987 to 2011 (with an interruption in 2006 due to surgery), compiling a record of 144–131–1. Spoo led the Eastern Illinois Panthers to five conference titles, nine playoff berths, and ten finishes in the Top 25 polls. He coached nine First Team All-Americans, including Tristan Burge and Tony Romo.

Spoo was an alumnus of Purdue University and a former quarterback on the Purdue Boilermakers football team. Prior to receiving the head coaching position at Eastern Illinois, Spoo served as an assistant at Purdue and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also coached at the high school level.

Spoo and his wife, Suzie, had one daughter. After retiring, the Spoos continued to reside in Charleston, Illinois. He died on October 15, 2018, at the age of 80.{{cite news |author= |title=Hall of Fame EIU coach passes away |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/news/hall-of-fame-eiu-coach-passes-away/article_c4d06c4b-6286-5417-a62d-77b95ccddd6b.html |newspaper=The News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |date=October 15, 2018 |access-date=August 2, 2021 }}{{cite news |author= |title=Robert Spoo |url=https://jg-tc.com/obituaries/robert-spoo/article_e8ae85ac-3156-5d03-9a54-3db49c764d91.html |newspaper=Journal Gazette & Times-Courier |location=Mattoon, Illinois |date=October 19, 2018 |access-date=August 2, 2021 }}

Head coaching record

=College=

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | conf = yes | bowl = yes | poll = both | poll1 = NCAA/TSN | poll2 = USA/ESPN }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Eastern Illinois Panthers

| conf = Gateway Football Conference

| startyear = 1987

| endyear = 1995

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1987

Bob Spoo

Head coaching record

=College=

References