Five things to know about interim coach Spanos

Randy Edsall is out as Uconn football head coach, and former defensive coordinator Lou Spanos is in as the interim.

Spanos, 50, came to Storrs ahead of the 2019 season but has been coaching defenses for over two decades. He’s won Super Bowls, coached and worked for Hall of Famers and worked on winning teams.

Now, he’s tasked with running a winless Uconn football team for at least the remainder of the season. Here’s everything you need to know about the first-time head coach.

He’s worked at the highest level of football

Prior to joining Edsall’s staff in 2019, Spanos coached at the college and pro level for over 25 years.hebeganasastudentassistant at Tulsa in 1993, then served as defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1995-2009. He was one of two assistants to be on staff for Super Bowl XXX, Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII, alongside John Mitchell. He has two Super Bowl rings with Pittsburgh.

He was the Washington Football Team’s linebackers coach from 2010-11 before serving as UCLA’S defensive coordinator from 2012-13.

Hereturnedtothenflin2014, working as the Tennessee Titans’ linebackers coach through 2017. He joined Alabama as an analyst in 2018 before coming to Storrs a year later.

He’s served under some of the game’s top coaches

In Pittsburgh, Spanos worked alongsideheadcoachbillcowher and defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau, two Pro Football Hall of Famers. With Washington, he served under Mike Shanahan, also a Hall of Famer, and did the same with Nick Saban — one of collegefootball’spremiercoaches — at Alabama.

While Spanos said he won’t model his style after any individual, the exposure to coaching legends certainly helps.

“I’ve been very fortunate,” Spanos said. “All the coaches say, ‘Be yourself.’ So I try not to emulate anyone. I was fortunate