Posted Nov. 22

Eastern football head coach Bob Spoo announced Monday that he will be retiring at the end of the 2011 season, which will be his 25th season as the Eastern head coach.

Spoo said, in a prepared statement, that he was honored to be able to coach at one school for such a long time. Spoo is ranked fourth in Division I for the longest tenure at one school.

Following Spoo’s announcement, athletic director Barbara Burke made a statement. Burke said the administration would immediately begin planning for the future.

“We felt that we needed to make this announcement at this time to silence any rumors that may surface about the future direction of our program,” Burke said.

This season, the Panthers finished 2-9. Next season, the Panthers will start the season against Illinois State for the 100th Prairie State Rivalry meeting between the teams. The season will mark Spoo’s 50th as a coach at any level.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or [email protected].