Education
He attended college at Ohio University as well as the University of Mississippi, at which he was a standout athlete in football, basketball, and baseball.
He attended college at Ohio University as well as the University of Mississippi, at which he was a standout athlete in football, basketball, and baseball.
Born and raised in Waveland, Indiana, Spruhan spent over fifty years of his life involved in Virginia sports, including tenure as a head coach of Roanoke College and the Virginia Military Institute. Spruhan"s coaching career began in 1913 where he joined Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia as head football, basketball, and baseball coach. He was also the school"s head athletic director
His first stint with Roanoke spanned seven seasons, where he led the basketball team to a 65–19 mark.
During part of this time he was also the head coach of Salem High School, and captured three consecutive basketball championships from 1916 to 1918, as well as a football title in 1917. Spruhan then moved to the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington and headed the Keydets" basketball team from 1919 to 1922.
He was also an assistant football and baseball coach. In three years, Spruhan"s Keydets went 38–9, including two one-loss seasons.
The.809 winning percentage remains the best in Virginia Military Institute history, and Spruhan is currently the last Keydet head coach to have a winning overall record.
After his stint with Virginia Military Institute, Spruhan returned to Roanoke where he would stay until 1930. His basketball coaching record of 100–81 is sixth all-time in school history.