Spoonhour needs lung transplant
Early this year, Charlie Spoonhour experienced trouble breathing and had difficulty shaking a cough and cold. In recent weeks, he began feeling ill again.
The former UNLV basketball coach is now at Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C., where he's on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Spoonhour, 71, was diagnosed with a lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
"Nothing is certain right now because it's a very complicated procedure," Spoonhour's wife, Vicki, said Wednesday. "We're optimistic. We're going to hope for the best.
"When he talks, his oxygen really gets depleted. He's pretty worn out. We came to Duke, and he's had tests and more tests. Over the course of about five to seven days, it really progressed in his lungs."
Spoonhour, who lives in Las Vegas, coached the Rebels from 2001 to 2004 and compiled a 54-31 record with two National Invitation Tournament appearances.
Citing health issues, he stepped down 21 games into his third season. His son Jay was promoted and led the team for the final 10 games in 2004, which concluded with a third straight NIT bid.
UNLV lured Spoonhour, who previously coached at Saint Louis and Southwest Missouri State, out of retirement in March 2001. He won 373 games in 19 seasons as a Division I head coach.
He has been working as a television analyst for Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference games.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a scarring or thickening of the lungs without a known cause, and no medication has been shown to improve the outcome of patients with the condition.
Spoonhour has been approved by Duke doctors for a transplant and must wait for a match.
"All the things that are supposed to cause it, he's never done, such as smoking," Vicki Spoonhour said. "It's strange. It just came on suddenly."
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at
myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.
