Lou Spanos
![]() Spanos in 2012 | |
Ole Miss Rebels | |
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Position: | Defensive analyst |
Personal information | |
Born: | March 27, 1971 |
Career information | |
High school: | Keystone Oaks (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) |
College: | Tulsa |
Career history | |
As a coach: | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Head coaching record | |
Career: | 1–9 (college) |
Louis G. Spanos(born March 27, 1971) is an Americancollege footballcoach. He is a defensive analyst for theUniversity of Mississippi,a position he has held since 2023. He was the interim head football coach for theUniversity of Connecticutin 2021.[1]He was a defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach for thePittsburgh Steelersfrom 1995 to 2009,[2]thelinebackers coachfor theWashington Redskinsfrom 2010 to 2011,[3]and thedefensive coordinatorfor theUCLAfrom 2012 to 2013.
Throughout his career, Spanos has been to the Super Bowl three times, winning two of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers in2006and2009,and had been to the College National Championship once; in2019withAlabama.
Playing career
[edit]Spanos attendedKeystone Oaks High School,located in theSouth Hillssuburbs ofPittsburgh,Pennsylvania,and played in the 1989Big 33 Football Classic.A 1994 graduate of theUniversity of Tulsa,Spanos was a four-year letterman and three-year starter atcenter.He served as the center for Tulsa quarterbackGus Frerotte.
Coaching career
[edit]Spanos stayed at Tulsa for a year after his playing career concluded to assist coaching the linebackers. He joined the Steelers in1995.Spanos is one of only two assistant coaches to be on theSuper Bowl XXX,Super Bowl XLandSuper Bowl XLIIIcoaching staffs, joining defensive line coachJohn Mitchell.
On January 16, 2010, Spanos was hired byMike Shanahanand theWashington Redskinsto be their linebackers coach.[4]After the2011 season,he left the Redskins to coach theUCLA Bruinsdefense. On January 18, 2014, Spanos left the Bruins and was hired byKen Whisenhuntof theTennessee Titansas linebackers coach.
On September 5, 2021, Huskies head coachRandy Edsallannounced plans to retire at the end of the 2021 season; a day later, UConn announced that Edsall would step down immediately as a result of a "mutual decision" between him and the university. Spanos was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[5]
Spanos resigned as defensive coordinator at UConn in August 2022, two weeks before the beginning of the football season.[6][7]
Head coaching record
[edit]Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
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UConn Huskies(NCAA Division I FBS independent)(2021) | |||||||||
2021 | UConn | 1–9[a] | |||||||
UConn: | 1–9 | ||||||||
Total: | 1–9 |
Notes
[edit]- ^Served as interim head coach afterRandy Edsallstepped down on September 6.
Personal life
[edit]As of 2021[update],Spanos and his wife reside inMount Pleasant, South Carolinawith their three children.[8]
References
[edit]- ^Foster, Chris (January 17, 2012)."UCLA football: Redskins' Lou Spanos to be Bruins defensive coordinator".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 17,2012.
- ^"Lou Spanos (bio)".Pittsburgh Steelers.Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 20,2009.
- ^Dulac, Gerry (January 13, 2010)."Steelers lose one defensive assistant, possibly another".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.RetrievedJanuary 13,2010.
- ^Terl, Matt."Lou Spanos Named Linebackers Coach, Kirk Olivadotti Retained".Redskins Blog.RetrievedMarch 1,2014.
- ^"Randy Edsall Steps Aside Immediately as Head Football Coach".September 5, 2021.
- ^Parks, James (August 21, 2022)."College football coach leaves team a week before season starts".College Football HQ.RetrievedDecember 16,2022.
- ^Vannini, Chris (December 15, 2022)."How Jim Mora took UConn from rock bottom to a bowl game in one year".The Athletic.RetrievedMay 10,2023.
- ^Sapakoff, Gene (November 14, 2021)."Sapakoff: Clemson, Dabo add to Mount Pleasant's Lou Spanos' bizarre year".Post and Courier.RetrievedMay 10,2023.
External links
[edit]- 1971 births
- Living people
- Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches
- Pittsburgh Steelers coaches
- Tennessee Titans coaches
- Tulsa Golden Hurricane football players
- Tulsa Golden Hurricane football coaches
- UCLA Bruins football coaches
- Washington Redskins coaches
- UConn Huskies football coaches
- Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
- Players of American football from Pittsburgh