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Charlie SpoonhourPhoto provided by MSU PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES
Charlie Spoonhour

Photo provided by MSU PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

Former MSU Bears coach Spoonhour dies at 72

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Former Missouri State University head men's basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour died yesterday in his North Carolina home. He was 72.

Spoonhour, who received a lung transplant from Duke University Medical Center in 2010 after being dianosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, had since been continuing to visit the hospital, as his health began to fluctuate, according to a news release from the MSU athletics Web site.

“The entire Missouri State University family is deeply saddened by the passing of coach Spoonhour,” MSU Director of Athletics Kyle Moats said in the release. “His legacy is one of class, distinction and achievement, and he will be dearly missed by the many lives he touched in his many endeavors.”

Spoonhour coached the Bears 1983-92, leading the team to its first NCAA tournament berth in 1987, the same year the team had 28 single-season wins, the most in school history, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.


While at MSU, Spoonhour coached seven 20-win teams, and in 1992, Spoonhour helped the Bears win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship. His MSU record ended at 197-81, according to the archives.

"When I think of Missouri State, I think of Charlie Spoonhour," current Bears head coach Paul Lusk said in the release. "Even when I played in the league, I have always had a great deal of respect for him and this program. He has meant a lot to this university and to college basketball."

Spoonhour went on to coach at St. Louis University 1992-99 and University of Nevada-Las Vegas 2001-04. He was 372-202 overall in his 19 years as a Division I head coach, the release said.[[In-content Ad]]

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