Eddie Sutton

Eddie Sutton (1936-2020)

Teams coached: Creighton Bluejays, Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats, Oklahoma State Cowboys, San Francisco Dons
Creighton record: 82-50 (.621)
Arkansas record: 260-75 (.776)
Kentucky record: 88-39 (.693) **
Oklahoma State record: 368-151 (.709)
San Francisco record: 6-13 (.316)
Overall record^: 804-328 (.710) **

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2007-2008 San Francisco (interim HC)
1990-2006 Oklahoma State
1985-1989 Kentucky
1974-1985 Arkansas
1969-1974 Creighton
1966-1969 Southern Idaho
1958-1959 Oklahoma State (asst)

Eddie Sutton Facts

  • Edward Eugene Sutton
  • Born March 12, 1936
  • Died May 23, 2020
  • Hometown: Bucklin, Kansas
  • Alma Mater: Oklahoma State University (BS, 1958)
  • Played for HOF head coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M/State and then spent one year as one of his assistants
  • Founded the basketball program at College of Southern Idaho in 1966 in the school’s third year in existence
    • Went 84-14 (.857) in three seasons there before moving up to the NCAA level
  • Won 82 games in five seasons as the head coach at Creighton, reaching the 1974 NCAA Tournament
  • Was the head coach at Arkansas for eleven seasons and had tremendous success in Fayetteville
  • Had a short and eventful four-year tenure as the head coach at Kentucky, winning two SEC titles but ultimately leaving in 1989 amidst a recruiting scandal that occurred while the program was already on probation
    • Facing termination and a possible “death penalty” for the program, Sutton resigned as the Wildcats head coach and had his second SEC regular season and Tournament titles, as well as the 1988 Sweet Sixteen appearance – vacated by the NCAA
  • Returned to his alma mater Oklahoma State in 1990, coaching the Cowboys for the next sixteen seasons
    • Went to the postseason nearly every year (13 NCAA, 2 NIT), including trips to the Final Four in 1995 and 2004
    • Won two conference titles (one Big Eight, one Big 12) and three conference tournaments (one Big Eight, two Big 12) at OSU
    • Resigned from his position in May 2006, following a February car accident in which he was charged with DUI
  • Briefly came out of retirement in December 2007 to coach the San Francisco Dons for the last 19 games of the ’07-08 season
    • Won just 6 games, but reached his milestone 800th win on 2/2/2008, becoming the fifth D-I head coach to hit 800
  • Sutton was the first collegiate head coach to lead four different schools to the NCAA Tournament and is on a short list of coaches to lead two different teams to the Final Four
  • Along with his late wife, Patsy, had three sons; two of whom, Scott and Sean have also been collegiate head coaches

Eddie Sutton Coaching Tree

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only

** Listed accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA