Pinky Spruhan
American football, basketball and baseball coach
About Pinky Spruhan
Lived 1890 – 1965 (aged 75). Pinky Spruhan was an American american football player and basketball coach.
Guy Harvey "Pinky" Spruhan (November 9, 1890 – December 31, 1965) was an American college football, basketball, and baseball coach. 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. He attended college at Ohio Northern University as well as the University of Mississippi, at which he was a standout athlete in football, basketball, and baseball.
Coaching career 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 VMI history, and Spruhan is currently the last Keydet head coach to have a winning overall record.
After his stint with VMI, Spruhan returned to Roanoke where he would stay until 1930. His basketball coaching record of 100–81 is sixth all-time in school history. He grew up with two sisters, and attended the local Waveland High School where he was an acclaimed multi-sport athlete. Spruhan is credited with establishing Roanoke's Monogram Club and the annual athletic award banquet each winter. He left behind his three children, two sons and one daughter, as well as his two sisters.
Head coaching record College basketball
Note: This table includes records at the collegiate level only.
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Important facts
People in Pinky Spruhan's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Pinky Spruhan's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Pinky Spruhan?
American football, basketball and baseball coach
When was Pinky Spruhan born?
Pinky Spruhan was born on 9 November 1890 in Waveland.
When did Pinky Spruhan die?
Pinky Spruhan died on 31 December 1965 in Roanoke.
What was Pinky Spruhan's occupation?
Pinky Spruhan was an american football player and basketball coach.
What nationality was Pinky Spruhan?
Pinky Spruhan was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pinky Spruhan. https://biography.guide/pinky-spruhan/
MLA: "Pinky Spruhan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pinky-spruhan/.
Chicago: "Pinky Spruhan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pinky-spruhan/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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