Sutton out for season; cited with DUI
ESPN.com news services
Stillwater police cited Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton with driving under the influence after a Friday traffic accident but did not jail him on a complaint because of a lack of physical evidence, the city's police chief said Monday.
Unrelated to the report (yeah, right --GD) , the university announced Monday that Sutton had asked to take a leave of absence for the remainder of the season.
"Coach Sutton has been dealing with constant back and hip problems the last couple of seasons and after last Friday's accident he feels this is the best decision for his health and for the team," said OSU System CEO and president David Schmidly.
"It has been an extremely difficult season," Sutton said. "With my deteriorating physical condition and other issues, I have been under a tremendous amount of stress. I told Dr. Schmidly I was close to making this decision after the trip to Kansas State because the pain in my back was making it very difficult to coach. After Friday's events, I know it is best to go on medical leave the remainder of the season to address my future health. It is very difficult to step away from the team."
The school said no decision has been made regarding Sutton's plans for next season. University officials said in a statement that they would not comment on the DUI citation because of privacy and legal reasons.
Sutton's son, Sean, who will take over as head coach of the team when Sutton retires, will lead the team the rest of the season.
Police are awaiting the results of blood tests that will confirm whether the 69-year-old was driving under the influence at the time of the accident, Stillwater Chief Norman McNickle said. It could take six to eight weeks to receive the test results.
Under Oklahoma law, driving under the influence can include a range of substances, including prescription painkillers or alcohol.
According to a report in The Oklahoman, witnesses reported smelling a "slight fruity odor" on the coach's breath and seeing a bottle of hydrocodone, a narcotic pain reliever related to codeine, in his SUV. McNickle wouldn't discuss whether alcohol or medication was a contributing factor to the accident.
"I can't say anything more," McNickle told The Oklahoman.
Sutton was not given a field sobriety test at the time of the accident because he needed medical treatment, McNickle said. Before issuing a DUI citation "officers have to have reasonable suspicion to believe the person was under the influence at the time," the chief said, declining to discuss those suspicions because they are part of an ongoing investigation.
Sutton was traveling to the Stillwater airport to fly with his team to College Station, Texas, when the accident occurred Friday. According to a police report, Sutton's sport utility vehicle went left of the centerline on a Stillwater street, corrected and then struck another SUV from behind at a speed of about 60 mph.
Sutton was hospitalized overnight for a head injury and released Saturday after the two-vehicle accident. The occupant of the other SUV received minor injuries and was released at the scene, officers said.
The police department has filed complaints against Sutton for speeding and traveling left of center, the chief said.
Witnesses told police that shortly before the accident, Sutton was unsteady on his feet and struck his head after falling in the parking lot of Gallagher-Iba Arena before entering his vehicle, according to a statement released Saturday by Stillwater police.
Sutton, who resigned in 1989 from a Kentucky program placed on four years' probation by the NCAA, arrived at his alma mater in 1990 with a chance to rebuild the Cowboys' program. At his introductory news conference he said he recognized three years earlier that he had a problem with alcohol and said, "I've dealt with it." He received treatment at the Betty Ford Center.
At Oklahoma State he added to his already impressive record with 15 straight seasons of at least 17 wins. He has taken the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament's Final Four twice -- in 1995 and 2004.
He entered this season -- his 16th at Oklahoma State and 36th overall -- with a chance to reach 800 wins. If he fell short of the mark, Sutton said he'd have to consider after the season whether to retire or return.
With six regular-season games remaining, Sutton ends the season six wins short at 794. The Cowboys are 13-11 (3-7 Big 12 Conference), and the coach recently criticized his team's mental and physical toughness, calling it the "softest team in 16 years that I have ever coached."
In Monday's statement, Sutton said, "The season has not gone as we wished, but we have a talented and fine group of young men and I look for them to finish the season strong. I won't be on the bench, but I'll be with them."
Assistant coach James Dickey, who took Sutton's place on the Big 12 coaches conference call on Monday morning, said Sutton addressed his players twice by phone Sunday to tell them of his plans.
"I'm sure they were disappointed," Dickey said. "As you can imagine, the players listened intently. But they all wished him the best, told him they loved him. He told them he loved them, to stay on the books and play hard and do their best to beat the Jayhawks tonight."
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Originally Posted by DrTre11
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