Jim Spavital

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Jim Spavital
No. 77, 76
Position:Fullback, linebacker
Personal information
Born:(1926-09-15)September 15, 1926
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died:March 7, 1993(1993-03-07) (aged 66)
Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S.
Career information
College:Oklahoma A&M
NFL draft:1948 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
As an administrator:
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

James J. Spavital (September 15, 1926 – March 7, 1993) was an American gridiron football player, coach and executive in six different professional football leagues. He served as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1970 to 1973 and as head coach of the Chicago Fire of the World Football League (WFL) in 1974. Spavital was the general manager of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1979 to 1982 and the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1983.

Playing career

Spavital played for the

1951 NFL Draft after the Baltimore Colts folded.[1]

Coaching career

In 1955, Spavital joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff under coach Cliff Speegle. In 1968 he joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an assistant. In 1970 he was hired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as head coach. In four seasons as Bombers head coach, he had a 23–39–2 record and two playoff appearances.

In 1974, Spavital was hired as head coach of the Chicago Fire of the World Football League. The team finished 7–13 and folded after the season. In 1975 he joined the New York Jets, coaching the offensive backfield. The following season, he again coached the offensive backfield coach for San Francisco 49ers coach Monte Clark.

In 1977 Spavital returned to the CFL as an assistant coach with the Calgary Stampeders, rejoining a fellow assistant from Saskatchewan, Jack Gotta. In 1981 he was hired as general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Spavital left the Roughriders after the season to join the

Philadelphia Stars title game. On September 9, 1983, he resigned his post as Panthers GM. In 1989 Spavital was hired by Bill Byrne and Hubie Byrne to help put together a new professional football league to begin play in the spring or summer of 1990. Spavital was the director of football operations for the Professional Spring Football League
(PSFL) for two years before plans for the league were abandoned.

Spavital's son, Steve, was the head football coach at

Broken Arrow Senior High in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Spavital is also the grandfather of current Texas State head coach Jake Spavital and Texas State defensive coordinator Zac Spavital
.

References

  1. ^ "Pro Football Draft History: 1951". profootballhof.com. Retrieved September 17, 2014.

External links