April 26, 2002
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. –
Mike Sutton, an assistant coach at the Universityof Kentucky who has spent much of his career working alongside the highlysuccessful Tubby Smith, has been selected as the new men’s basketball coach atTennessee Tech University.
The announcement was made by Dr. David Larimore, Tech athleticsdirector, during a public event Friday morning in Eblen Center.
Sutton will begin his new assignment immediately, with recruiting,getting familiar with his players, putting a coaching staff in place, anddirecting the popular Golden Eagle Summer Basketball Camps as his firstpriorities.
“We are very excited about Mike Sutton heading up our men’s basketballprogram,” said Tech president Bob Bell. “Throughout his entire career he hasnot only been a successful coach, but proven that he is also committed tooutstanding academics.”
Sutton is currently in his fifth season as an assistant coach atKentucky, where his duties include on-floor coaching and off-campus recruiting.He helped lead UK to three Southeastern Conference regular season championshipsand three SEC tournament titles. The team played in the NCAA tournament allfive seasons, and won the national title in 1998 with a 35-4 record.
In all, during his nine seasons of collegiate coaching, Sutton has helped take teams to nine NCAA tournament appearances.
“In Mike Sutton, you will find a man who invokes an image of integrity,class and enthusiasm,” said UK head coach Tubby Smith. “Mike’s work ethic,character and desire to be successful will all serve him well, and heunderstands that academics must be the first priority of the students. He is atrue “team player” and he will bring an uptempo style of play in a well-coachedsystem that will be fun to watch. His teams will be disciplined on and off thecourt.”
Sutton met with the returning Golden Eagle players during his on-campusvisit earlier in the week.
“One of the things that impressed me the most was the team or familyatmosphere at the school,” Sutton said. “Everyone was very supportive of theprogram and showed a genuine interest in the players.
“The young men in the program are a great group and I am really lookingforward to coaching them,” Sutton added, “I was really impressed by theirattitude and the way they are respected by the people associated with theathletic department and the school.”
Sutton inherits a team that has won back-to-back Ohio Valley Conferencechampionships and posted a 27-7 overall record while reaching the Elite Eightof the National Invitation Tournament in 2001-2002.
“I hope to continue to build on the things that have already beenaccomplished at Tech by coach Lebo, coach Harrell and the most important peoplein any program, the players,” Sutton said. “And, by players, I am includingevery one who has ever worn the purple and gold for teams from Putty Overall toJeff Lebo.
“Tennessee Tech students, staff, alumni, fans and the Cookevillecommunity can look forward to exciting times in the future as the Golden Eaglebasketball team continues to build on the Tennessee Tech tradition,” he said.
Larimore said the pool of applicants for the position included animpressive list of candidates.
“We had outstanding applicants to choose from,” Larimore said. “Theposition of head basketball coach at Tennessee Tech has become a veryattractive position, and we’re excited about Mike Sutton heading up theprogram.”
A 1978 graduate of East Carolina University, Sutton has workedalongside Smith for the past nine years, including two at Tulsa, two at Georgiaand five at Kentucky.
Sutton’s 27-year coaching background has crossed paths with Smith onnumerous occasions, at both the high school and college levels.
Sutton began coaching as an assistant at his high school alma mater,D.H. Conley High School, while attending East Carolina. After spending the1978-79 season as an assistant coach at Lees-McRae (N.C.) Junior College, hewas hired by Smith as an assistant for the 1979-80 season at Hoke County HighSchool in Raeford, N.C. Before the season began, Smith left for an assistant’sposition at Virginia Commonwealth, leaving Sutton behind, but only temporarily.The next year, the two were reunited as assistants at VCU, helping the Ramsadvance to the 1981 NCAA Tournament.
Sutton then left the college ranks and became head coach at MeadowbrookHigh School in Richmond, Va., taking over a downtrodden program that hadtallied a 1-19 record the previous season.
He turned the program around during his 13-year career from 1981-94,leading the team to the Class AAA State Championship in his final season. Hiscoaching efforts earned him The Associated Press Coach of the Year award for1993-94. He compiled a 176-122 record at Meadowbrook before re-joining Smith atTulsa.
Including Kentucky, he has had five coaching stops with Smith.
Born March 21, 1956 in Farmville, N.C., Mike and his wife, Karen, havetwo married children – Kelly Kern of Baltimore and Scott Hughes of Gulfport,Fla. Their first grandchild, Grace Sutton Kern, was born last June.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education fromEast Carolina University in 1978, and his master’s degree in Science, Healthand Physical Education from Appalachian State University in 1979.
Additional quotes on the hiring of Sutton…
“Mike Sutton was a major contributor to the success of Kentucky basketball. He brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and recruiting expertise with him and is ready for the challenges of being a head coach.”
Dick Vitale
Television Analyst
“As I told Dr. Larimore, this is a good hire for Tennessee Tech. Mike has had head coaching experience at the high school level with much success. He’s coached in Division I at different levels and knows what it takes to win. He’ll deliver that same success to the Golden Eagles.”
C.M. Newton
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Member
