Considering his team’s youthful struggles, the chances of Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton joining the 800-victory club this season became more remote with each passing week.
Now, everyone wonders if the 69-year-old legend has scribbled X’s and O’s for the last time.
The school announced Monday that Sutton asked to take a medical leave of absence for the rest of the season. The announcement came three days after Sutton was involved in a traffic accident en route to the Stillwater, Okla., airport to fly with his team for a game at Texas A&M.
No mention was made in the news release about whether Sutton will return for next season.
“I hope he’s back,” Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said Monday. “I’ve never coached against a better coach than Eddie Sutton. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. He made me a better coach. I think our programs inspired each other.”
Sutton, who has a career record of 794-310, was hospitalized overnight for a head injury and did not join the Cowboys in College Station, Texas, after being released Saturday. According to police reports, Sutton’s SUV veered across the center line of a Stillwater street going about 60 mph. He corrected and then collided with another SUV from behind. Occupants in the vehicle struck by Sutton received minor injuries and were released at the scene.
Sutton was cited with driving under the influence but was not jailed because his injuries did not allow time for a field sobriety test. Blood tests will confirm whether Sutton was driving under the influence and will determine if alcohol, prescription drugs or some other agent, such as over-the-counter painkillers, caused the behavior. Sutton has suffered from chronic back pain since falling down an escalator at Los Angeles International Airport in July 2004. He completed a Betty Ford Clinic program for alcohol abuse in 1987 while at Kentucky. There have been no suspicions of an alcohol problem since Sutton returned to Oklahoma State, his alma mater, in 1990.
The school’s announcement did not refer to the DUI. In the statement, Sutton said with his “deteriorating physical condition and other issues, I have been under a tremendous amount of stress.” Sutton said back pain almost prompted him to leave the team following a Feb. 4 road trip to Kansas State.
“I’ve been worried all season that somebody would come crashing into the bench and he couldn’t get out of the way,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said on the Big 12 teleconference Monday.
Sutton never has said publicly when he plans to step aside. He told reporters he considered retiring after last season but decided it would be unfair to burden his son Sean with such an inexperienced team in his first season.
Sean Sutton was promoted from associate head coach to “head coach designate” in 2004. It has long been assumed Sean would take over the reins beginning in 2006-07. But Eddie Sutton must have expected to reach 800 victories this season. He needed 19 wins.
Big 12 coaches said Monday they would not be surprised to see Sutton on the bench next season.
“When basketball has been your life, I would think 800 wins would be important,” Texas’ Barnes said.
Footnotes
The past week was tough on Big 12 coaches. Quin Snyder resigned at Missouri on Friday following a six-game losing streak. Kansas State’s Jim Wooldridge hopes to rejoin his team for a road game Wednesday against Texas Tech after undergoing neck surgery Feb. 8. A graft from a cadaver’s bone was used to repair a bulging disc.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
