Eddie Sutton, legendary college basketball coach, dies at 84

CNN ^ | May 24, 2020 | Wayne Sterling, Dakin Andone

[Category Four]

Eddie Sutton, the first college basketball coach to lead four different schools to the NCAA tournament, died on Saturday, his family said in a statement. He was 84.

Sutton's family said he passed away at home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to natural causes, surrounded by his sons and their families. His wife of 54 years, Patsy, died in 2013. Sutton -- a four-time National Coach of the Year -- was one of nine honorees to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in April. He will be inducted posthumously, along with legend Kobe Bryant, on August 29.

His family said Sutton felt it "was an honor and a tribute to the great players he coached and outstanding assistant coaches that worked for him." Inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, Sutton guided his teams to a combined 26 NCAA Tournament appearances. In 37 seasons, Sutton won 806 games and appeared in three Final Fours. He won 17 conference regular season and tournament championships and had only one losing season. Over the years he coached at several different schools, including 11 years at the University of Arkansas and 16 years at his alma mater, Oklahoma State, where he led the school to two Final Fours in 1995 and 2004. In 2005, Oklahoma State made its eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the longest streak in the school's history.

[Category Four]

I was attending OSU when he took us to the Final Four in 1995. The atmosphere on campus when we beat UMass to get there, as well as when we welcomed them back, was nothing short of electric.

Rest easy, Coach.

[crusty old prospector]

RIP. I remember those days.

[Jolla]

I was at Texas Tech in the Southwest Conference when we played against Coach Suttons Arkansas Razorbacks, great teams, great coach.

[GSWarrior]

I saw him coach a few games for the University of San Francisco, in what was a head-scratching hire by a lousy AD.

[A Cyrenian]

At a preseason media session for coaches in the Big 8, Eddie Sutton was asked about the recruiting process for son Sean.

Eddie said it wasn't too tough, I've been sleeping with his mother for 30 years.

Too which Norm Stewart said, "Does your wife know about that?"

[Carriage Hill]

I thought he was a bank robber... I need some more coffee.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.