Eastern Illinois Vice President for Student Affairs and Interim Athletic Director Dan Nadler has announced contract extensions for Panther men’s and women’s head basketball coaches Debbie Black and Jay Spoonhour. Both coaches are now under contracts that will keep them in charge of their respective programs through the 2016-2017 basketball season.

"I’m happy to announce the extensions of the contracts of both of Eastern Illinois basketball coaches," Nadler said. "Both Debbie and Jay have done a good job building a base for their programs to continue to compete at a high level in the Ohio Valley Conference. The extension of both contracts allows them to be able to competitively recruit top student-athletes to their programs as they challenge for conference titles and post-season appearances."

Spoonhour recently completed his second season as the men’s basketball coach guiding the Panthers to their second straight Ohio Valley Conference Tournament appearance in Nashville. The team lost just one senior in All-Conference performer Sherman Blanford as they will open play for the 2014-15 season in November. The back-to-back OVC Tournament appearances marked just the second time EIU has made back-to-back tournament appearances since the 2003 season.

Black completed her first season as the women’s basketball coach having to replace four senior starters from an OVC Championship squad. She led the Panthers to their seventh straight OVC Tournament appearance as the team was led by All-Conference performer Sabina Oroszova, a returning senior for the 2014-15 campaign. The Panthers currently are tied with Tennessee State with the longest active streak of making the OVC Tournament.