Hall of Fame
Charlie Spoonhour became perhaps the most recognized name in the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame. Spoonhour was a widely recognized and successful collegiate men’s basketball coach following his graduation from Ozarks. His style, known as "Spoonball," featured a patient, possession-oriented offense and tough, hard-nosed defense. Spoonhour had great success at what was then Southwest Missouri State (Missouri State). He turned that program into a powerhouse, compiling a 197-81 overall record. He took the team to the NCAA Tournament five times and twice to the NIT. His teams won four Mid-Continent Conference championships and one Missouri Valley title. He was named MCC Coach of the Year three times. After ripping apart the junior college ranks with a 205-63 record (.765), Spoonhour became an assistant at Nebraska before taking over at Southwest Missouri State. Then “Spoonball” hit St. Louis where he recorded an overall record of 122-90, taking the Bilikens to three NCAA’s and one NIT. While at St. Louis University, Spoonhour was named National Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. After retiring, he gave it one more shot at UNLV and quickly guided the Runnin’ Rebels to consecutive 20-victory seasons and a post-season appearance. He was 54-31 at UNLV. His overall coaching record was 738-302 in 33 seasons. Following his stint at UNLV, Spoonhour worked as a television commentator for the Missouri Valley Conference and for the University of Oklahoma, and is a motivational speaker. He’s an inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was named a Missouri Sports Legend and a bronze bust was dedicated by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
