CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois will hold a press conference on Monday afternoon, April 9, at 3 p.m. to introduce Jay Spoonhour as the Panthers new men's basketball head coach.  The press conference will take place on the floor of Lantz Arena.  Spoonhour is currently the head coach at Moberly Area Community College in Missouri.  He will be the 14th head coach in EIU men's basketball history and only the third in the Division I history of the school.

Spoonhour was one of five finalists to interview for the vacant job.  He has compiled 100 wins as a head coach at the junior college level including winning the NJCAA National Championship in 2001 at Wabash Valley College.  Spoonhour has more than ten years of experience as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level including stops at Saint Louis, Valparaiso, UNLV, Missouri and Texas San Antonio.  In 2004, Spoonhour took over for his father Charlie Spoonhour as the interim head coach at UNLV coaching the final nine games with a 6-3 record.  The Runnin' Rebels advanced to the championship game of the Mountain West Conference that season.

EIU officials will make all additional comments on the hiring at the press conference on Monday.  A live link to the press conference will be available on the EIU Panthers official athletic website on Monday morning – www.eiupanthers.com