R.I.P. Charlie Spoonhour
BY | 1:18 pm, Wednesday, Feb. 1 | POSTED IN Bluejays Today Lee Barfknecht

The world of college basketball is a lesser place today with word of the death of Charlie Spoonhour, one of the sport’s great characters.

Spoonhour, 72, died at his home in St. Louis on Wednesday morning. He underwent a lung transplant in 2010, and had been hospitalized periodically since.

The native of Mulberry, Kan., was a former head coach at Missouri State, Saint Louis U., and UNLV. “Spoon” was an assistant at Nebraska to Moe Iba when he got what then was the Southwest Missouri State job in 1983.

Spoonhour had many friends in Nebraska, and remained popular after coaching as a telelvision analyst on Missouri Valley and Big 12 Conference games.

About Lee Barfknecht

Lee Barfknecht has won nine national writing awards from four separate organizations, and is a 12-time winner of the Nebraska sportswriter of the year award. He covers Big Ten football and basketball, Nebraska basketball and other college financial issues for The World-Herald. You can email Lee at lee.barfknecht@owh.com

3 Comments on R.I.P. Charlie Spoonhour

  1. Joey says:
    February 1, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    May you be in the Lords kingdom. Where you will be safe forever.

  2. Bob Lovitt says:
    February 1, 2012 at 4:00 pm

    Charlie was a good friend of mine from our days at Nebraska. One of the most sincere but also one of the funniest guys I’ve known. It’s a big loss but I’m sure he will keep the “personnel in heaven ]” in stitches. What a great contributor.. Love ya Charlie

  3. Tyler says:
    February 4, 2012 at 12:48 am

    Spoon, rest in peace.
    Lee B, thanks for the words.