Lou Spanos


Louis G. Spanos is a football coach and the defensive coordinator for the Connecticut Huskies football team. He was a defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers for many years, the linebackers coach for the Washington Redskins, and the defensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins football team.

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. 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.

Personal life

Spanos and his wife Timme reside in Mt. Pleasant, SC with their two sons, Zachary and Caleb, and daughter Gabriella.