After graduation from the Academy, Spetman spent 28 years in the United States Air Force as a pilot. In addition to being an assistant coach for Air Force football, Spetman served in the Air Force in various capacities, including Chief of Bomber Planning in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and Chief of the Command and Control Division, Operations Directorate of the United States European CommandinStuttgart, Germany.[3] Spetman retired as a colonel in April 2004.[5]
Beginning in August 1995, Spetman was associate athletic director at Air Force before being promoted to athletic director effective March 1, 1996.[6] In 2000, Spetman hired Joe Scott to be Air Force Falcons men's basketball coach and in 2002 signed Scott through 2008.[7] On October 15, 2003, Spetman announced his retirement effective in December.[8]InMarch 2004, three months after Spetman's retirement, Scott led Air Force to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 40 years.
Utah State University president Kermit Hall hired Spetman on June 18, 2004 to be athletic director effective July 1.[9] By 2007, Utah State had won four WAC championships and had a conference-best 78 percent graduation rate.[3]
Spetman became athletic director of Florida State University on February 4, 2008, hired by president T. K. Wetherell.[3] In July 2008, Florida State hired Lonni Alameda as head softball coach, following the retirement of longtime head coach Joanne Graf.[10] Alameda would go on to win five consecutive ACC Coach of the Year honors from 2013 to 2017 and the 2018 Women's College World Series title.[11] After the resignation of longtime head coach Bobby Bowden, Spetman promoted offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher as the new Florida State Seminoles football head coach in December 2009.[12][13] The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Bowden made the decision to retire following a meeting with Wetherell and Spetman.[14] Fisher would take Florida State to three straight bowl victories and two ACC Atlantic Division titles, with top-ten year-end rankings after the 2012 season. On June 5, 2013, new Florida State president Eric Barron reassigned Spetman to a special advisor role for the remainder of his contract that would expire in February 2014.[15]