Head coach Bob Spoo will undergo surgery Tuesday in St. Louis for an undisclosed medical reason. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, including the team’s opener Sept. 2 at Illinois, Director of Athletics Rich McDuffie announced Wednesday.

Mark Hutson, the team’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, will take over as interim head coach.

“I think every assistant head coach has a goal to be a head coach someday,” he said. “But not under these circumstances. Coach Spoo has meant so much to my career. We certainly wish him the best in this situation.”

Spoo missed his second straight practice Wednesday and was expected to address the team today.

He missed the team’s scrimmage Aug. 16 to go to St. Louis for what McDuffie called a “minor medical procedure.”

The players received the news at a team meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The coaching staff let the team captains know prior to the meeting and then told the rest of the team.

Quarterback Mike Donato said he was “a little shocked,” but that the team had to move forward.

“Each team will face a couple of crises,” he said. “But it isn’t one if we don’t let it become one.”

Special teams coach Justin Lustig worked with the running backs Wednesday, a job Spoo had been doing.

Senior running back Vincent Webb Jr. said the adjustment to Lustig has been minor.

He said hearing about Spoo missing the next few weeks wasn’t easy.

“We are going to miss him terribly,” he said. “(The seniors) have played every game with coach Spoo. That’s going to be different.”

Spoo has not missed a game since the 1998 season.

Treatment for a mild heart attack kept him out of the season finale against Eastern Kentucky that season.

Webb said Spoo had been preparing the team for this possibility.

“He coached us the way so we knew how to react when he was not around,” he said. “That is the case right now. Coach told us ‘for every great team, there’s going to be three or four crises in the season.’ From my mindset, this is the first one.”

Seven of the Panthers’ starters on offense this season are seniors.

Senior wide receiver Ryan Voss said that would help ease the transition to Hutson.

“We’ve been together a long time,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot. I think we’ve all got enough respect for each other and we have one goal in common.”

Hutson is entering his fourth season as offensive coordinator.

His coaching career began as a tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Murray State University in 1993.

He said he would remain in constant contact with Spoo as the season progresses.

“I had a long visit with him (Tuesday) to tell him about (Tuesday’s) practice,” he said. “We will do the same thing (Wednesday night).”

Spoo was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Panthers to an undefeated conference season in 2005.

When he returns, it will be his 20th season as the head coach at Eastern.

After he missed the scrimmage, he came back to the team two days later.

Linebacker Clint Sellers said it was a testament to his strength.

“That’s leadership right there,” he said. “We all know how much of a fighter coach Spoo is and how much of a warrior he is.”

The temporary loss of Spoo isn’t an excuse for the team, Donato said.

“When Spoo gets back, we expect to be undefeated,” he said. “And he expects us to be, too.”

Coach Bob Spoo talks to Eastern football players during practice. Spoo will undergo surgery Tuesday and will miss four to six weeks of the football season.

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