Sutton learned his trade as a player, then graduate assistant coach for the legendary Henry Iba at Oklahoma State. He graduated from OSU (then Oklahoma A&M) in 1958 and received his master's degree from the school in 1959.
His first full-time coaching job came at Tulsa (Okla.) Central High School, where he built a 119-51 record in six years from 1961-62 through 1966-67. In 1967, he took over at Southern Idaho Junior College, a school that had never fielded a basketball team before. In three short years, Sutton compiled a remarkable 83-14 record.
His first major college test came in 1970, when he accepted the head coaching job at Creighton University. By 1974, Sutton had built a powerhouse  a team with a 23-6 record and ranked 14th in the polls. He spent five years at Creighton, compiling an 82-50 record and establishing himself as one of the finest young coaches in the game, before moving on to Arkansas for the 1974-75 season.
In 26 years of coaching high school, junior college and college teams, Sutton has a record of 594-205. His major college record now stands at 392-140.
Another tribute to Sutton's success is the number of head coaches he has turned out. Gene Keady (Purdue), Pat Foster
ball's showcase last season. Sutton's overall record in NCAA Tournament competition is now 15-12.
Sutton's reputation as a "miracle-worker" didn't begin in Lexington. Prior to becoming Kentucky's head man, Sutton spent 11 years at Arkansas, where he took the Razorbacks from the basement of the Southwest Conference to a perennial national power.
After taking the Arkansas job in 1974, Sutton immediately worked wonders, guiding his first two teams to 17-9 and 19-9 records. Sutton got the Razorbacks in the NCAA tournament in 1977 and they stayed there the rest of his tenure in Fayetteville.
Sutton also holds a distinction of being one of only 25 active college coaches who have both played and coached in the NCAA Tournament. As a senior at Oklahoma State in 1958, Sutton scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in three games in helping OSU reach the finals of the Midwest Regional. He scored eight points in Oklahoma State's 65-40 NCAA Tournament win over the team he would eventually coach, Arkansas.
While winning nearly 78 percent of the time, Sutton's Razor-back teams averaged nearly 24 victories a season and won five Southwest Conference titles. His overall (77.6) and Southwest Conference (79.7) winning percentages are league records that may never be approached. His overall record at Arkansas was 260-75. He earned national "Coach of the Year" honors twice while at Arkansas (1977 and 1978) and was named the SWC "Coach of the Year" four times.
Sutton created a monster in the Ozarks. His teams were nearly impossible to defeat at Barnhill Arena, Arkansas' on-campus home. Under Sutton's direction, the Hogs were 121-8 at Barnhill, a stunning percentage of .932. His first two UK teams have continued that tradition, as the Wildcats sport a 31-2 record at Lexington's Rupp Arena since his arrival.
	EDDIE SUTTON-COACHED
	TEAMS IN THE NCAA
1973-74	Creighton 77, Texas 61
	Kansas 55, Creighton 54
	Creighton 80, Louisville 71
1976-77	Wake Forest 86, Arkansas 80
1977-78	Arkansas 73, Weber State 52
	Arkansas 74, UCLA 70
	Arkansas 61, Cal-Fullerton 58
	Kentucky 64, Arkansas 59
	Arkansas 71, Notre Dame 69
1978-79	Arkansas 74, Weber State 63
	Arkansas 73, Louisville 62
	Indiana State 73, Arkansas 71
1979-80	Kansas State 71, Arkansas 53
1980-81	Arkansas 73, Mercer 67
	Arkansas 74, Louisville 73
	LSU 72, Arkansas 56
1981-82	Kansas State 65, Arkansas 64
1982-83	Arkansas 78, Purdue 68
	Louisville 65, Arkansas 63
1983-84	Virginia 53, Arkansas 51 (ot)
1984-85	Arkansas 63, Iowa 54
	St. John's 68, Arkansas 65
1985-86	Kentucky 75, Davidson 55
	Kentucky 71, Western Kentucky 64
	Kentucky 69, Alabama 63
	LSU 59, Kentucky 57
1986-87	Ohio State 91, Kentucky 77
Totals:	Creighton (1 year)-2-1
	Arkansas (9 years)-10-9
	Kentucky (2 years)-3-2
	11 appearances-15-12
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