“I know everybody is wondering what will happen to me at the end of the year, if my health is good I want to coach for several more years.”

This was the quote from Bob Spoo at his Ohio Valley Conference media day press conference and now that we’ve reached the stage of part one not being true, what will be the fallout in 2006?

While it’s been over two days since the announcement, I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that Captain Spoo won’t be on the sidelines leading the Panthers.

Here are the facts and they are indisputable: about the time Spoo broke Eastern’s record for wins, led the Panthers to the playoffs eight times and entered his 20th season, he stopped being a regular coach and man on this campus. Spoo is an icon and institution at this school.

Eastern has its two most important games of the season (at Illinois State and at Eastern Kentucky) in the first six weeks and Spoo might have to miss both of them.

A win against ISU can give the Panthers an argument to the NCAA selection committee for an at-large berth in the playoffs, and a win against the Colonels will pave the road for back-to-back OVC championships.

At this point, chaos should have already engulfed O’Brien Stadium where coaches and players should be running around yelling and screaming.

However, that’s not the case. When you walk into the building, there’s an eery calm that gives the impression nothing has happened, practice is still the most organized 90 guys you’ll ever see short of a military unit.

Like or not, this is the first look of Mark Hutson, head coach and because of Spoo’s forward thinking – it might be prettier than Eastern fans think.

How is this possible? Because just when Panthers were beginning to think Spoo was a figurehead that didn’t really coach much or do anything, he turns into that wise man we all go to for advice.

Barry Alvarez was absent for two games in the 2004 season due to knee surgery and life remained the same at Camp Randall, Tony Dungy left the Colts last year after the death of his son, Peyton Manning didn’t forget how to play and Mike Martz left the Rams due to health issues and well.okay, bad example.

Nothing is going to change for Eastern on game day. Mark Hutson will handle the offense, Roc Bellantoni will handle the defense and guess who had this all laid out beforehand. That’s right: Spoo.

The mark of a good leader is when the people who work for him can handle their business in his absence. The team is more talented, the coaches have more experience and now they have an emotional reason to limit complacency.

Therefore, there’s no reason Spoo can’t be back-to-back OVC coach of the year from the couch this season. The 69-year-old that has more years of football experience than I’ve been alive was able to prepare his staff and players to perform no matter the situation.