SPRINGFIELD — Missouri State University announced today the addition of Jay Spoonhour to the Bears administrative team as the new assistant athletics development director.
Spoonhour, the son of Missouri State coaching legend Charlie Spoonhour, will officially begin his new duties on June 24.
The newly-created position will help secure financial support for all 19 men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletics teams. Spoonhour will also serve as the primary support liaison for external NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) stakeholders, including alumni, donors, business owners, representatives, collectives, and other parties. He will service NIL-related opportunities and initiatives and be responsible for advancing the NIL program’s marketing and activation efforts. He will also ensure that all student-athletes, staff and external stakeholders have the tools and resources to maximize success in this critical area.
“The world of NIL is brand new, and changing all the time,” said Spoonhour. “One thing for certain, it is not going anywhere. The strength of our NIL efforts will be a direct correlation to the success of our teams.”
A coaching veteran with 30 years of experience in athletics, Spoonhour spent the past year as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Missouri State under former coach Dana Ford. Prior to that, he compiled 225 career wins as a collegiate head coach and holds a wealth of experience and passion for his hometown team.
The 53-year-old spent nine seasons as men’s basketball head coach at Eastern Illinois University from 2012 to 2021 where he coached four NABC All-District players, seven All-OVC players and six OVC Newcomer Team honorees during his tenure in Charleston.
Prior to his coaching tenure at EIU, Spoonhour was head coach and athletic director at Moberly Area Community College from 2009-12, was assistant coach at UTSA from 2006-08 and assistant at Missouri from 2004-06. He spent the 2001 to 2004 seasons on his late father’s staff at UNLV where the Runnin’ Rebels participated in the NIT all three seasons. Jay served as interim head coach at the end of the 2004 season, guiding UNLV to a 6-3 finish down the stretch.
He also has a previous head coaching stop at Wabash Valley College (2000-01) in Mt. Carmel, Ill., where he helped lead the team to a 36-1 record, Great Rivers Athletic Conference title and NJCAA national championship. For his memorable run, Spoonhour earned NJCAA National Coach of the Year, Region XXIV Coach of the Year, GRAC Coach of the Year and Hutchinson Rotary Club Coach of the National Tournament.
The Springfield native also has assisting coaching stops at Valparaiso (2000), Saint Louis (1996-99) and Central Missouri (1994-96). He coached alongside his father at SLU, helping the Billikens to a 22-11 run in 1998 that resulted in an NCAA Tournament win over UMass. Ten of his former players have gone on to careers in the NBA, including two lottery picks.
Spoonhour is a 1994 graduate of Pittsburg State University.
He and wife Nicole, have three children — Grace, Charlie and Sam. Grace and Charlie will be student-athletes at Missouri State this year.
His hire is contingent upon formal approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its next scheduled meeting.
