One of my favorite memories as a kid growing up was attending the Missouri State (then Southwest Missouri State) University basketball games with my parents. The first coach I really “remembered” was Charlie Spoonhour, or “Spoon” as he was called. He really helped put the Bears back on the map (they had won back to back NAIA National Championships  in 1952 and 1953).

What was great about his coaching was that he always seemed to get the most out of his players and tailored his “system” around their strengths. When he was a SMS, as it was called, he had teams built on tough defense and a deliberate offensive attack while in Springfield. Then when he went to SLU and then UNLV, the up tempo talent was added to his defensive focus to have a very successful career.  This system was called “Spoonball” wherever he went–St. Louis University and then UNLV. In Springfield, the Hammons Center was affectionately called “Spoon’s Temple of Doom.”

I remember so vividly the year that we made it to the first NCAA Tournament after winning our conference. We beat Clemson in the first round, which we were a serious underdog, and then losing a heart breaker to KU on the back of Danny Manning. That would be the first of five trips to the “Big Dance” under Spoonhour, which made him a highly sought after coach at bigger schools. He moved on to bigger and better things at SLU and then UNLV.

He will certainly be missed.

Here are several articles on his passing.

Former longtime coach Charlie Spoonhour dies at 72 – ESPN.

Charlie Spoonhour dies at 72

Charlie Spoonhour, former St. Louis and UNLV basketball coach dies at 72 in North Carolina