News

Okla. State's Sutton Out For Rest Of Season
Feb. 13, 2006

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Eddie Sutton was cited with driving under the influence after he was injured in a car accident, and the Oklahoma State basketball coach will take a medical leave for the rest of the season.

The injuries to the 69-year-old coach, along with chronic back pain, prompted the decision, the school said Monday. Sean Sutton, his son and head-coach designate, will finish the season as coach.

Sutton was hospitalized overnight for a head injury and released Saturday. The occupant of the other SUV received minor injuries and was released at the scene, officers said.

Stillwater police cited Eddie Sutton after Friday's accident but did not jail him on a complaint because of a lack of physical evidence, the city's police chief said Monday.

Police are awaiting the results of blood tests that will confirm whether the coach was driving under the influence, Stillwater Chief Norman McNickle said. It could take six to eight weeks to receive the test results. Sutton was not given a field sobriety test at the time because he needed 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 investigation.

The police department has filed complaints against Sutton for speeding and crossing the road's center line, the chief said.

Sutton was traveling to the Stillwater airport to fly with his team to College Station, Texas, when the accident happened.

According to a police report, Sutton's sport utility vehicle went left of the center line on a Stillwater street, corrected and then struck another SUV from behind at about 60 mph.

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, Stillwater police said Saturday.

Earlier this season, Sutton moved into fifth place on the NCAA career victory list, passing Lefty Driesell. He trails only North Carolina's Dean Smith, Kentucky's Adolph Rupp, Texas Tech's Bob Knight and Jim Phelan of Mount St. Mary's on the all-time list.

Sutton, the first coach to take four schools to the NCAA tournament, has a career record of 794-309.