UNLV REBELS

Charlie Spoonhour

Position: Head Coach

The following bio is entering the 2003-04 season...

In two seasons at the helm of the Runnin' Rebels, UNLV men's basketball head coach Charlie Spoonhour has continued the winning ways upon which he has built a career.

The 12th head coach in program history, Spoonhour has led his UNLV teams to back-to-back 21-11 seasons and two postseason trips to the National Invitation Tournament.

During the 2002-03 season, Spoonhour notched another milestone with his 350th Division I career win (in his 534th game) and completed the season with an impressive 361-193 (.652) career mark over 18 seasons.

Spoonhour's team, piloted by 2003 NBA Draft Lottery Pick Marcus Banks (selected 13th overall by Memphis - later traded to Boston), led the Mountain West Conference in scoring (75.3 ppg) and steals (8.41 spg) for the second consecutive year.

Spoonhour guided the Runnin' Rebels to their second consecutive trip the MWC Tournament championship game after finishing third in the conference for the second straight season in 2002-03.

With an invitation to play in the 2003 NIT, Spoonhour's teams have now played in the postseason 13 times, making eight NCAA Tournament appearances.

His first UNLV team (2001-02) advanced to the second round of the NIT after defeating Arizona State in the first round for the program's first postseason victory since 1997. That team led the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (78.3) and steals (9.84). For his efforts, Spoonhour was named the 2002 United States Basketball Writers Association's District VIII Coach of the Year.

In two seasons at UNLV, Spoonhour has compiled a 42-22 (.656) record and has gone 32-9 (.781) in games at home.

Spoonhour, 64, spent seven years as the head coach at Saint Louis University and finished third on the school's career victories list with a mark of 122-90 (.575). He retired from Saint Louis on March 5, 1999, after heading into his final season ranked 26th among active NCAA Division I coaches (minimum 10 years) in winning percentage with a .662 mark.

During his tenure at SLU, he led the Billikens to postseason tournaments in four seasons with three trips to the NCAA Tournament and one NIT bid. When Saint Louis earned a spot in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, it was the school's first such trip since 1957. That same season, the Billikens also climbed into the national rankings for the first time in 29 years, which earned Spoonhour national coach of the year honors from the USBWA. Spoonhour's success also helped the Billikens rank among the nation's top 10 in attendance, including averaging 17,708 fans in 1997-98, which ranked sixth nationally.

His best recruiting class at SLU included Larry Hughes, the Billikens' first McDonald's All-American. Hughes currently plays for the NBA's Washington Wizards. During Hughes' freshman season (his only season at SLU) in 1997-98, Spoonhour earned his 100th victory at SLU and his 300th career win as a Division I head coach.

SLU's trip to the Big Dance in 1995 marked the first time the Billikens had ever made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament. SLU defeated Minnesota in the first round that year to give the program its first NCAA Tournament win in 43 years.

Spoonhour's ability to adjust to the evolution of college basketball is what truly has impressed many observers. Although Spoonhour was known for his patient, possession-oriented style of play when he was head coach at Southwest Missouri State University, Saint Louis became the top three-point shooting team in its conference as well as one of the top point-producing squads.

During the 1994-95 regular season, the Billikens ranked ninth in the nation in three-point goals per game (9.1), 15th nationally in three-point shooting percentage (39.5) and fourth in the nation in scoring margin (+14.2).

Meanwhile, Spoonhour's trademark defense was still having its effect as SLU ranked eighth in the nation in scoring defense (62.6) that season.

Spoonhour's arrival at SLU immediately impacted a struggling program that won only five games during 1991-92. Spoonhour's first SLU team posted 12 wins in 1992-93 - not enough to satisfy Spoonhour, but enough for Basketball Times to proclaim the program as one of the most improved in the nation.

Spoonhour spent the previous nine seasons building a basketball phenomenon at Southwest Missouri State. He arrived on the Springfield, Mo., campus in 1983, and things were never quite the same. Spoonhour drove the Bears to five NCAA Tournament appearances and two NIT bids.

The Bears win-loss record grew to 197-81 with Spoonhour at the helm, which included four Mid-Continent Conference titles and one Missouri Valley Conference championship. Three Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year awards followed.

His first collegiate opportunity came as an assistant at SMSU in 1969. During his four-year stay, the Bears won two MIAA championships and were runners-up once.

Moberly (Mo.) Junior College came calling for Spoonhour's services in 1972. In two years, Moberly reached the Regional Tournament final twice, winning once and placing third overall nationally. His outstanding contribution as head coach and a 58-17 record at Moberly earned Spoonhour a place in Moberly's Basketball Hall of Fame as he was inducted in 1983.

Spoonhour left Moberly to become an assistant at the University of Oklahoma in 1974. He spent one season with the Sooners before becoming head coach at Southeastern Community College in Burlington, Iowa. In six seasons, Spoonhour took the Blackhawks to four Regional Tournament championship games and three National Juco Tournament appearances. Four Regional Coach of the Year honors would be bestowed upon Spoonhour in his time at SECC as his 'Hawks went 147-46.

He compiled a 205-63 record with a .765 winning percentage as a junior college coach, which earned an induction into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1991.

He again was an assistant coach in 1981 when he joined Moe Iba's staff at the University of Nebraska. The Cornhuskers twice reached the Big Eight Tournament semifinals and gained an NIT berth. At the conclusion of the 1982-83 season, Spoonhour got the call from Southwest Missouri - and he's never looked back.

Spoonhour's 39-year climb through the coaching ranks began at Rocky Comfort (Mo.) High School in 1961. He spent seven seasons at the interscholastic level compiling a 172-46 record and a .789 winning percentage. He has compiled a cumulative head coaching record of 738-302 (.710) in 33 seasons.

Spoonhour's experience goes beyond the boundaries of the United States, as he was an assistant coach for the Mexican National Team at the 1973 Moscow World Games and he spoke at the 1978 national camps in Sweden and Denmark. Additionally, he participated in the 1988 European Olympic trials clinic in Holland.

In addition to the Moberly Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame, Spoonhour is also a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (1994), the Springfield (Mo.) Hall of Fame (1997) and the University of the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame (2001).

Following his retirement from SLU in 1999, Spoonhour spent two years in the broadcast booth serving as an analyst on college basketball broadcasts.

Born June 23, 1939, in Mulberry, Kan., Spoonhour was raised in Rogers, Ark. He graduated from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark., in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in physical education.

Spoonhour's three-year letterman career in basketball at Ozarks preceded his coaching career. He later earned his master's in education in 1972 from the University of Arkansas. He is married to the former Vicki Korner and has two sons from a previous marriage: Jay (33), who works for his dad as an assistant coach, and Stephen (28).

CHARLIE SPOONHOUR COACHING RECORD

DIVISION I HEAD COACH (18 YEARS; 361-193, .652)
YEAR	SCHOOL                  	W-L	CONF.	CONF. FINISH          	POSTSEASON
2002-03	UNLV                    	21-11	8-6	T3rd in Mountain West	NIT 1st Round
2001-02	UNLV                    	21-11	9-5	3rd in Mountain West	NIT 2nd Round
1998-99	Saint Louis             	15-16	8-8	4th in C-USA Div.
1997-98	Saint Louis             	22-11	11-5	3rd in C-USA Div.        	NCAA 2nd Round
1996-97	Saint Louis             	11-18	4-10	3rd in C-USA Div.
1995-96	Saint Louis             	16-14	4-10	3rd in C-USA Div.        	NIT 1st Round
1994-95	Saint Louis             	23-8	8-4	2nd in Great Midwest	NCAA 2nd Round
1993-94	Saint Louis             	23-6	8-4	2nd in Great Midwest	NCAA 1st Round
1992-93	Saint Louis             	12-17	1-9	6th in Great Midwest
1991-92	Southwest Mo. State	23-8	13-5	MVC tourney champ    	NCAA 1st Round
1990-91	Southwest Mo. State	22-12	11-5	2nd in MVC              	NIT 1st Round
1989-90	Southwest Mo. State	22-7	11-1	AMCU champ            	NCAA 1st Round
1988-89	Southwest Mo. State	21-10	10-2	AMCU champ            	NCAA 1st Round
1987-88	Southwest Mo. State	22-7	12-2	AMCU champ            	NCAA 1st Round
1986-87	Southwest Mo. State	28-6	13-1	AMCU champ            	NCAA 2nd Round
1985-86	Southwest Mo. State	24-8	10-4	2nd in AMCU            	NIT quarterfinals
1984-85	Southwest Mo. State	17-13	8-6	4th in AMCU
1983-84	Southwest Mo. State	18-10	9-5	3rd in AMCU

DIVISION I ASSISTANT COACH (7 YEARS)
1982-83	Nebraska                	22-10                                      	NIT semifinals
1981-82	Nebraska                	16-12
1974-75	Oklahoma                	13-13
1971-72	Southwest Mo. State	12-12		MIAA runner-up
1970-71	Southwest Mo. State	9-16
1969-70	Southwest Mo. State	17-11		MIAA champ              	NCAA Regional
1968-69	Southwest Mo. State	24-5		MIAA champ            	NCAA Div. II runner-up

JUNIOR COLLEGE HEAD COACH (8 YEARS; 205-63, .765)
1980-81	SE Community College	26-8		                         	National JUCO tourney - 12th place
1979-80	SE Community College	22-8
1978-79	SE Community College	31-5		                         	National JUCO tourney - 8th place
1977-78	SE Community College	17-14
1976-77	SE Community College	22-6
1975-76	SE Community College	29-5		                        	National JUCO tourney - 5th place
1973-74	Moberly Junior College	32-8		                         	National JUCO tourney - 3rd place
1972-73	Moberly Junior College	26-9

CUMULATIVE HEAD COACHING RECORD (33* YEARS; 738-302, .710)
* includes seven years at the high school level

CAREER COACHING TIMELINE

Head Coach, UNLV, 2001-pres.
Head Coach, Saint Louis, 1992-99
Head Coach, Southwest Mo. St., 1983-92
Asst. Coach, Nebraska, 1981-83
Head Coach, Southeastern CC, 1975-81
Asst. Coach, Oklahoma, 1974-75
Head Coach, Moberly JC, 1972-74
Asst. Coach, Southwest Mo. St., 1968-72
Head Coach, Salem (Mo.) HS, 1967-68
Co-Head Coach, Bloomfield (Mo.) HS, 1963-67
Head Coach, Rocky Comfort (Mo.) HS,1961-63

CAREER COACHING AWARDS

- USBWA District VIII Coach of the Year, 2001-02
- USBWA Henry Iba Award winner as National Men's Coach of the Year, 1993-94
- ESPN/RCA National Men's Coach of the Year, 1993-94
- Naismith Award Finalist for Men's National Coach of the Year, 1993-94
- Basketball Times All-Plains Co-Coach of the Year, 1993-94
- Mid-Continent Coach of the Year at SMSU, 1984, 1987 and 1988
- Regional Coach of the Year at Moberly JC, 1974
- Regional Coach of the Year at Southeastern CC, 1976, 1979 and 1981.