BasketballBig 12In MemoriamSEC

Legendary head coach Eddie Sutton dies at 84

Legendary head coach Eddie Sutton, who just this year was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, passed away on Saturday at the age of 84. According to a statement from the family, he died of natural causes at home in Tulsa and surrounded by his sons and their families.

“Oklahoma State University is deeply saddened by the passing of Coach Eddie Sutton,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “A Hall of Fame Coach with more than 800 wins, he revived our historic basketball program and will always be revered and loved by the Cowboy family.”

Sutton is best remembered for his 16-year tenure as the head coach at Oklahoma State, but he also had successful stints at the helm at Kentucky, Arkansas and Creighton. He went to the NCAA Tournament 25 times in his career and became the first ever head coach to lead four different programs to the Dance. He’s also on the short list of coaches to take two different teams to the NCAA Final Four, having done so with the Razorbacks in 1978 and the Cowboys in both 1995 and 2004.

“Dad and Mom treated their players like family and always shared the belief that his teachings went beyond the basketball court,” Sutton’s family wrote. “He cherished the time he spent at every school and appreciated the support from their loyal fans. He believed they deserved so much credit in the success of his programs.”

 

credit to Oklahoma State Athletics for the image