BricktownGuy
05-19-2006, 07:33 PM
By JEFF LATZKE, AP Sports WriterFri May 19, 4:59 PM ET
Eddie Sutton retired as Oklahoma State's basketball coach Friday after a drunken driving accident ended a 36-year career highlighted by 798 wins and three trips to the Final Four.
"This decision is about simply what's best for me and what's best for the basketball program at Oklahoma State," Sutton said at a news conference.
The retirement of the 70-year-old coach takes effect June 30. He will be succeeded by Sean Sutton, who was an assistant on his father's coaching staff and had taken the job on an interim basis.
"It's my unwavering belief that Sean will continue the winning tradition in this basketball program," Eddie Sutton said.
He said it would be unfair to his son to try for his 800th win. Sutton has a 798-315 career record at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State. He reached the Final Four with Arkansas in 1978 and with Oklahoma State in 1995 and 2004.
Only Dean Smith (879), Adolph Rupp (876), Bob Knight (869) and Jim Phelan (830) have more career wins among men's NCAA coaches.
"It is now time for us to come together as a family again and support a new era in Cowboy basketball," he said. "If given your support, I believe Sean can take this program to even greater heights. He has the tools, knowledge and experience. I believe Sean can take this program all the way to the top."
Sutton called his Final Four trips the high point of his career. The low point came in January 2001, the airplane crash deaths of 10 people tied to the Oklahoma State basketball program.
"I've had my time and what a time it was," Sutton said.
Kansas coach Bill Self, once an assistant under Sutton, lauded what he said was a Hall of Fame career.
"He is one of the very, very few coaches out there who has withstood the test of time and achieved success at the highest level over several decades," Self said.
He said Sutton adapted his coaching style to the changes in the game.
"Yet, he never compromised his basic foundation — play great defense and do not beat yourself," Self said.
Sutton started this season needing 19 wins to reach 800 for his career and said he likely would retire at the end of the season even if he didn't reach that mark.
Then came the Feb. 10 accident as Sutton drove from Gallagher-Iba Arena to the Stillwater airport to leave for a road game. It resulted in charges of aggravated DUI, speeding and driving on the wrong side of the road. Sutton pleaded no contest to the charges this month and received a one-year deferred sentence and was ordered to pay a fine.
Sean Sutton took over while Sutton was on a medical leave and picked up four wins on his father's behalf but fell two short of 800.
Sutton played for longtime Oklahoma A&M coach Henry Iba and his name is emblazoned on the court at Gallagher-Iba Arena. With a staunch defense inspired by Iba, Sutton took his teams to the NCAA tournament 26 times. Only Knight, Smith and Arizona's Lute Olson went more frequently.
He had a losing record only once in his career — the 1988-89 season at Kentucky that ended with his resignation amid an NCAA investigation.
He arrived at his alma mater the following year, proclaiming that he had beaten alcoholism with help from treatment at the Betty Ford Center. He soon resurrected an Oklahoma State program that had been to the NCAAs only once in the previous 25 years and had the Cowboys in the NCAA tournament each of the next five years, culminating with their Final Four berth in 1995.
Tragedy struck Oklahoma State when a plane crashed on its way back from a game at Colorado. Sutton has said he would stop each day at a kneeling cowboy statue at Gallagher-Iba, a memorial to the victims.
Three years later, Sutton led the Cowboys to the Final Four again. Sutton often found players who, like him, needed a second chance. John Lucas III, seeking a new home after a Baylor teammate was killed, made the shot that lifted the Cowboys to the national semifinals. Spurned by North Carolina because of marijuana charges, JamesOn Curry also landed at Oklahoma State.
Sutton attempted to lead the Cowboys to another Final Four in 2005 but their run ended in the round of 16. Afterward, Sutton said he wanted to return for at least one more season to help his son through the loss of six senior leaders.
Following the February accident, he said chronic back and hip pain led to a relapse in his fight against alcoholism dating to his days as Kentucky's coach. Court records showed his blood alcohol level was 0.22, almost three times the legal limit. Since the accident, Sutton had back surgery and underwent alcoholism treatment.
Sutton said he will miss the crowds at Oklahoma State, home to the "rowdiest arena in college basketball."
His son inherits a team with a strong recruiting class entering its sophomore season. All eight of the team's top scorers will return to try to stretch the school's longest streak of consecutive postseason tournament appearances to 10.
Eddie Sutton retired as Oklahoma State's basketball coach Friday after a drunken driving accident ended a 36-year career highlighted by 798 wins and three trips to the Final Four.
"This decision is about simply what's best for me and what's best for the basketball program at Oklahoma State," Sutton said at a news conference.
The retirement of the 70-year-old coach takes effect June 30. He will be succeeded by Sean Sutton, who was an assistant on his father's coaching staff and had taken the job on an interim basis.
"It's my unwavering belief that Sean will continue the winning tradition in this basketball program," Eddie Sutton said.
He said it would be unfair to his son to try for his 800th win. Sutton has a 798-315 career record at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State. He reached the Final Four with Arkansas in 1978 and with Oklahoma State in 1995 and 2004.
Only Dean Smith (879), Adolph Rupp (876), Bob Knight (869) and Jim Phelan (830) have more career wins among men's NCAA coaches.
"It is now time for us to come together as a family again and support a new era in Cowboy basketball," he said. "If given your support, I believe Sean can take this program to even greater heights. He has the tools, knowledge and experience. I believe Sean can take this program all the way to the top."
Sutton called his Final Four trips the high point of his career. The low point came in January 2001, the airplane crash deaths of 10 people tied to the Oklahoma State basketball program.
"I've had my time and what a time it was," Sutton said.
Kansas coach Bill Self, once an assistant under Sutton, lauded what he said was a Hall of Fame career.
"He is one of the very, very few coaches out there who has withstood the test of time and achieved success at the highest level over several decades," Self said.
He said Sutton adapted his coaching style to the changes in the game.
"Yet, he never compromised his basic foundation — play great defense and do not beat yourself," Self said.
Sutton started this season needing 19 wins to reach 800 for his career and said he likely would retire at the end of the season even if he didn't reach that mark.
Then came the Feb. 10 accident as Sutton drove from Gallagher-Iba Arena to the Stillwater airport to leave for a road game. It resulted in charges of aggravated DUI, speeding and driving on the wrong side of the road. Sutton pleaded no contest to the charges this month and received a one-year deferred sentence and was ordered to pay a fine.
Sean Sutton took over while Sutton was on a medical leave and picked up four wins on his father's behalf but fell two short of 800.
Sutton played for longtime Oklahoma A&M coach Henry Iba and his name is emblazoned on the court at Gallagher-Iba Arena. With a staunch defense inspired by Iba, Sutton took his teams to the NCAA tournament 26 times. Only Knight, Smith and Arizona's Lute Olson went more frequently.
He had a losing record only once in his career — the 1988-89 season at Kentucky that ended with his resignation amid an NCAA investigation.
He arrived at his alma mater the following year, proclaiming that he had beaten alcoholism with help from treatment at the Betty Ford Center. He soon resurrected an Oklahoma State program that had been to the NCAAs only once in the previous 25 years and had the Cowboys in the NCAA tournament each of the next five years, culminating with their Final Four berth in 1995.
Tragedy struck Oklahoma State when a plane crashed on its way back from a game at Colorado. Sutton has said he would stop each day at a kneeling cowboy statue at Gallagher-Iba, a memorial to the victims.
Three years later, Sutton led the Cowboys to the Final Four again. Sutton often found players who, like him, needed a second chance. John Lucas III, seeking a new home after a Baylor teammate was killed, made the shot that lifted the Cowboys to the national semifinals. Spurned by North Carolina because of marijuana charges, JamesOn Curry also landed at Oklahoma State.
Sutton attempted to lead the Cowboys to another Final Four in 2005 but their run ended in the round of 16. Afterward, Sutton said he wanted to return for at least one more season to help his son through the loss of six senior leaders.
Following the February accident, he said chronic back and hip pain led to a relapse in his fight against alcoholism dating to his days as Kentucky's coach. Court records showed his blood alcohol level was 0.22, almost three times the legal limit. Since the accident, Sutton had back surgery and underwent alcoholism treatment.
Sutton said he will miss the crowds at Oklahoma State, home to the "rowdiest arena in college basketball."
His son inherits a team with a strong recruiting class entering its sophomore season. All eight of the team's top scorers will return to try to stretch the school's longest streak of consecutive postseason tournament appearances to 10.