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 Bowl winner (XL, XLIII); Pac-12 South Division champions (2012);
Head coaching record
Career:	1–9 (college)

Louis G. Spanos (born March 27, 1971) is an American college football coach. He is a defensive analyst for the University of Mississippi, a position he has held since 2023. He was the interim head football coach for the University of Connecticut in 2021.^[1] He was a defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1995 to 2009,^[2] the linebackers coach for the Washington Redskins from 2010 to 2011,^[3] and the defensive coordinator for the UCLA from 2012 to 2013.

Throughout his career, Spanos has been to the Super Bowl three times, winning two of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 and 2009, and had been to the College National Championship once; in 2019 with Alabama.

Playing career

Spanos attended Keystone Oaks High School, located in the South Hills suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and played in the 1989 Big 33 Football Classic. A 1994 graduate of the University of Tulsa, Spanos was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at center. He served as the center for Tulsa quarterback Gus Frerotte.

Coaching career

Spanos stayed at Tulsa for a year after his playing career concluded to assist coaching the linebackers. He joined the Steelers in 1995. Spanos is one of only two assistant coaches to be on the Super Bowl XXX, Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII coaching staffs, joining defensive line coach John Mitchell.

On January 16, 2010, Spanos was hired by Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins to be their linebackers coach.^[4] After the 2011 season, he left the Redskins to coach the UCLA Bruins defense. On January 18, 2014, Spanos left the Bruins and was hired by Ken Whisenhunt of the Tennessee Titans as linebackers coach.

On September 5, 2021, Huskies head coach Randy Edsall announced 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 after Randy Edsall stepped down on September 6.

Personal life

As of 2021^[update], Spanos and his wife reside in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina with their three children.^[8]

References

^ Foster, Chris (January 17, 2012). "UCLA football: Redskins' Lou Spanos to be Bruins defensive coordinator". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
^ "Lou Spanos (bio)". Pittsburgh Steelers. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
^ Dulac, Gerry (January 13, 2010). "Steelers lose one defensive assistant, possibly another". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
^ Terl, Matt. "Lou Spanos Named Linebackers Coach, Kirk Olivadotti Retained". Redskins Blog. Retrieved March 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. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
^ Vannini, Chris (December 15, 2022). "How Jim Mora took UConn from rock bottom to a bowl game in one year". The Athletic. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
^ Sapakoff, Gene (November 14, 2021). "Sapakoff: Clemson, Dabo add to Mount Pleasant's Lou Spanos' bizarre year". Post and Courier. Retrieved May 10, 2023.

External links

Connecticut profile

[8] Served as interim head coach after Randy Edsall stepped down on September 6.

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

[SteelerBio-2] "Lou Spanos (bio)". Pittsburgh Steelers. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2009.

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

[4] Terl, Matt. "Lou Spanos Named Linebackers Coach, Kirk Olivadotti Retained". Redskins Blog. Retrieved March 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. Retrieved December 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. Retrieved May 10, 2023.

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

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v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII champions
2 Dennis Dixon 3 Jeff Reed 4 Byron Leftwich 7 Ben Roethlisberger 9 Daniel Sepulveda 10 Santonio Holmes (MVP) 13 Marvin Allen 14 Limas Sweed 15 Martin Nance 16 Charlie Batch 17 Mitch Berger 20 Bryant McFadden 21 Mewelde Moore 22 William Gay 23 Tyrone Carter 24 Ike Taylor 25 Ryan Clark 26 Deshea Townsend 27 Anthony Smith 28 Justin Vincent 29 Ryan Mundy 30 Roy Lewis 31 Fernando Bryant 33 Gary Russell 34 Rashard Mendenhall 37 Anthony Madison 38 Carey Davis 39 Willie Parker 43 Troy Polamalu 49 Sean McHugh 50 Larry Foote 51 James Farrior 53 Bruce Davis 54 Andre Frazier 55 Patrick Bailey 55 Mike Humpal 56 LaMarr Woodley 57 Keyaron Fox 60 Greg Warren 61 Jared Retkofsky 62 Justin Hartwig 64 Doug Legursky 65 Jeremy Parquet 66 Tony Hills 67 Kyle Clement 68 Chris Kemoeatu 69 Jason Capizzi 71 Scott Paxson 72 Darnell Stapleton 73 Kendall Simmons 74 Willie Colon 76 Chris Hoke 77 Marvel Smith 78 Max Starks 79 Trai Essex 81 Dallas Baker 83 Heath Miller 84 Dezmond Sherrod 85 Nate Washington 86 Hines Ward 88 Jonathan Dekker 89 Matt Spaeth 90 Travis Kirschke 91 Aaron Smith 92 James Harrison 93 Nick Eason 94 Lawrence Timmons 95 Donovan Woods 96 Orpheus Roye 97 Arnold Harrison 98 Casey Hampton 99 Brett 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
3 Jeff Reed 5 Rod Rutherford 7 Ben Roethlisberger 8 Tommy Maddox 11 Quincy Morgan 16 Charlie Batch 17 Chris Gardocki 18 Walter Young 20 Bryant McFadden 21 Ricardo Colclough 22 Duce Staley 23 Tyrone Carter 24 Ike Taylor 26 Deshea Townsend 27 Willie Williams 28 Chris Hope 29 Chidi Iwuoma 31 Mike Logan 33 Russell Stuvaints 34 Verron Haynes 35 Dan Kreider 36 Jerome Bettis 39 Willie Parker 42 John Kuhn 43 Troy Polamalu 45 Richard Seigler 46 Arnold Harrison 49 Erik Jensen 50 Larry Foote 51 James Farrior 53 Clark Haggans 54 Rian Wallace 55 Joey Porter 56 Chukky Okobi 57 Clint Kriewaldt 60 Greg Warren 64 Jeff Hartings 65 Tim Brown 66 Alan Faneca 67 Kimo von Oelhoffen 68 Chris Kemoeatu 69 Ulish Booker 72 Barrett Brooks 73 Kendall Simmons 76 Chris Hoke 77 Marvel Smith 78 Max Starks 79 Trai Essex 80 Cedrick Wilson Sr. 81 Sean Morey 82 Antwaan Randle El 83 Heath Miller 84 Jerame Tuman 85 Nate Washington 86 Hines Ward (MVP) 89 Lee Mays 90 Travis Kirschke 91 Aaron Smith 92 James Harrison 94 Andre Frazier 96 Shaun Nua 98 Casey Hampton 99 Brett 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