EIU's Spoo will miss first few weeks

~ The veteran coach will have surgery in St. Louis on Tuesday.

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo will miss at least the first four to six weeks of the football season to have surgery for an undisclosed medical problem, the school's athletic director announced Wednesday.

Spoo, 68, is scheduled to have the surgery in St. Louis on Tuesday.

The coach is entering his 20th season at EIU.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with coach Spoo and his family at this time," athletic director Richard McDuffie said in making the announcement. "We are confident this will be a successful surgery and anticipate Coach to return to the team as soon as he feels ready."

McDuffie, citing privacy, said neither the school nor Spoo would comment further on his condition.

"We are hopeful that coach Spoo will be able to address the media sometime during his recovery period," the announcement said.

Spoo missed two days of practice last week to have a "minor medical procedure" performed at a St. Louis hospital, but returned Friday. He was not expected at practice Wednesday but planned to attend sessions the rest of the week until leaving for the hospital over the weekend, said assistant head coach Mark Hutson, who will handle the team in Spoo's absence.

Hutson also declined to discuss the surgery.

"First and foremost, our prayers are with Coach Spoo," Hutson said. "Coach's professionalism, his toughness and his attitude have been a big part of this program for many years. We will have to close ranks and move forward."

Eastern Illinois was undefeated in the OVC last season and finished with a 9-3 record. Spoo was named conference coach of the year. The Panthers are ranked 14th in The Sport Network's preseason Division I-AA poll this fall.

After Illinois, Eastern plays Indiana State at home and then plays road games at Illinois State, Samford and Hawaii before returning home to play Southeast Missouri State on Oct. 7, the Panthers' sixth game.