Lou Spanos

Lou Spanos
	Spanos in 2012
Ole Miss Rebels
Position:	Defensive analyst
Personal information
Born:	March 27, 1971(age 53)
Career information
High school:	Keystone Oaks; (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
College:	Tulsa
Career history
As a coach:
	Tulsa(1993); Student assistant; Pittsburgh Steelers(1995–2009); Defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach; Washington Redskins(2010–2011); Linebackers coach; UCLA Bruins(2012–2013); Defensive coordinator; Tennessee Titans(2014–2017); Linebackers coach; Alabama(2018); Analyst; UConn(2019–2021); Defensive coordinator; UConn (2021); Interim head coach; Ole Miss(2023–present); Defensive analyst;
Career highlights and awards
	2×Super Bowlwinner (XL,XLIII); Pac-12 South Division champions(2012);
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

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

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


Year	Team	Overall
UConn Huskies(NCAA Division I FBS independent)(2021)
2021	UConn	1–9^[a]
UConn:		1–9
Total:		1–9

Notes

^Served as interim head coach afterRandy Edsallstepped down on September 6.

Personal life

As of 2021^[update],Spanos and his wife reside inMount Pleasant, South Carolinawith their three children.^[8]

References

^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

Connecticut profile

[8] Served as interim head coach afterRandy Edsallstepped down on September 6.

[1] Foster, Chris (January 17, 2012)."UCLA football: Redskins' Lou Spanos to be Bruins defensive coordinator".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 17,2012.

[SteelerBio-2] "Lou Spanos (bio)".Pittsburgh Steelers.Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 20,2009.

[3] Dulac, Gerry (January 13, 2010)."Steelers lose one defensive assistant, possibly another".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.RetrievedJanuary 13,2010.

[4] Terl, Matt."Lou Spanos Named Linebackers Coach, Kirk Olivadotti Retained".Redskins Blog.RetrievedMarch 1,2014.

[5] "Randy Edsall Steps Aside Immediately as Head Football Coach".September 5, 2021.

[6] Parks, James (August 21, 2022)."College football coach leaves team a week before season starts".College Football HQ.RetrievedDecember 16,2022.

[7] 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.

[9] Sapakoff, Gene (November 14, 2021)."Sapakoff: Clemson, Dabo add to Mount Pleasant's Lou Spanos' bizarre year".Post and Courier.RetrievedMay 10,2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[a]

[8]

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII champions
2Dennis Dixon 3Jeff Reed 4Byron Leftwich 7Ben Roethlisberger 9Daniel Sepulveda 10Santonio Holmes(MVP) 13Marvin Allen 14Limas Sweed 15Martin Nance 16Charlie Batch 17Mitch Berger 20Bryant McFadden 21Mewelde Moore 22William Gay 23Tyrone Carter 24Ike Taylor 25Ryan Clark 26Deshea Townsend 27Anthony Smith 28Justin Vincent 29Ryan Mundy 30Roy Lewis 31Fernando Bryant 33Gary Russell 34Rashard Mendenhall 37Anthony Madison 38Carey Davis 39Willie Parker 43Troy Polamalu 49Sean McHugh 50Larry Foote 51James Farrior 53Bruce Davis 54Andre Frazier 55Patrick Bailey 55Mike Humpal 56LaMarr Woodley 57Keyaron Fox 60Greg Warren 61Jared Retkofsky 62Justin Hartwig 64Doug Legursky 65Jeremy Parquet 66Tony Hills 67Kyle Clement 68Chris Kemoeatu 69Jason Capizzi 71Scott Paxson 72Darnell Stapleton 73Kendall Simmons 74Willie Colon 76Chris Hoke 77Marvel Smith 78Max Starks 79Trai Essex 81Dallas Baker 83Heath Miller 84Dezmond Sherrod 85Nate Washington 86Hines Ward 88Jonathan Dekker 89Matt Spaeth 90Travis Kirschke 91Aaron Smith 92James Harrison 93Nick Eason 94Lawrence Timmons 95Donovan Woods 96Orpheus Roye 97Arnold Harrison 98Casey Hampton 99Brett Keisel
Head coach:Mike Tomlin
Coaches:Ken Anderson Bruce Arians Keith Butler James Daniel Randy Fichtner Garrett Giemont Harold Goodwin Ray Horton Amos Jones Dick LeBeau Bob Ligashesky John Mitchell Lou Spanos Kirby Wilson Larry Zierlein

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XL champions
3Jeff Reed 5Rod Rutherford 7Ben Roethlisberger 8Tommy Maddox 11Quincy Morgan 16Charlie Batch 17Chris Gardocki 18 Walter Young 20Bryant McFadden 21Ricardo Colclough 22Duce Staley 23Tyrone Carter 24Ike Taylor 26Deshea Townsend 27Willie Williams 28Chris Hope 29Chidi Iwuoma 31Mike Logan 33Russell Stuvaints 34Verron Haynes 35Dan Kreider 36Jerome Bettis 39Willie Parker 42John Kuhn 43Troy Polamalu 45Richard Seigler 46Arnold Harrison 49Erik Jensen 50Larry Foote 51James Farrior 53Clark Haggans 54Rian Wallace 55Joey Porter 56Chukky Okobi 57Clint Kriewaldt 60Greg Warren 64Jeff Hartings 65Tim Brown 66Alan Faneca 67Kimo von Oelhoffen 68Chris Kemoeatu 69Ulish Booker 72Barrett Brooks 73Kendall Simmons 76Chris Hoke 77Marvel Smith 78Max Starks 79Trai Essex 80Cedrick Wilson Sr. 81Sean Morey 82Antwaan Randle El 83Heath Miller 84Jerame Tuman 85Nate Washington 86Hines Ward(MVP) 89Lee Mays 90Travis Kirschke 91Aaron Smith 92James Harrison 94Andre Frazier 96Shaun Nua 98Casey Hampton 99Brett Keisel
Head coach:Bill Cowher
Coaches:Bruce Arians Keith Butler James Daniel Chet Fuhrman Russ Grimm Dick Hoak Ray Horton Dick LeBeau John Mitchell Darren Perry Kevin Spencer Mark Whipple Ken Whisenhunt