One of Kansas coach Bill Self's most beloved mentors has gained admission into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Eddie Sutton, who compiled an 806-329 record in 37 seasons as a college head coach, including a 368-151 mark in 16 seasons at Oklahoma State, on Saturday was named a member of the Hall's Class of 2020 in an induction show on ESPN.
Self worked for Sutton from 1991 to '93 at OSU. Other members of the class: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings, Rudy Tomjanovich, Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens and Patrick Baumann.
"I want to be one of the thousands that offer our sincere congratulations to coach Eddie Sutton for his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame," Self said in a statement he crafted Friday night after learning the Bucklin, Kan., native was to enter the Hall of Fame.
"It is certainly an honor that is richly deserved, one that is long overdue," Self added.
Self then personally addressed Sutton, saying: "Certainly anybody that has played for you and/or coached under you knew you are a Hall of Famer several decades ago. Coach, we are so happy for you and I know there are so many players that you have touched, coaches that you have touched (that) are celebrating tonight in a very, very difficult time in everybody's life. You brought so much joy to so many. We can't thank you enough. Congratulations, you deserve this."
Self had been vocal in the past asking voters to consider Sutton's induction.
"I like so many feel Coach Sutton should be in the Hall and hopefully someday will be," Self said at his own induction ceremony in September 2017 in Springfield, Mass.
"It's a little embarrassing, to be candid, that I would be doing this when Coach Sutton hasn't done it yet," Self said then.
Sutton, the first coach to take four different colleges to the NCAA Tournament (Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Arkansas and Creighton), has finally been deemed worthy of enshrinement. Sutton, 84, coached three Final Four teams _ 1978 at Arkansas, and 1995 and 2004 at Oklahoma State.
"Look at Creighton, an NCAA Tournament when they weren't used to that," Self told the Tulsa World in a recent interview. "Look at Arkansas: The elite program in the Southwest Conference. Look at Kentucky: First year, (Sutton is 32-4) with great players. Look at Oklahoma State: He had really good players and went to two Final Fours. In my opinion, he's a Hall of Fame coach. I don't know what can be said to convince a panel of people."
Others who had joined Self in lobbying for Sutton included ESPN's Fran Fraschilla, plus Texas Tech coach Chris Beard and Baylor coach Mulkey,
Before a game at Oklahoma State, Texas Tech players wore pregame shooting shirts that read "HALL OF FAME" on the front and "Coach Sutton 806" on the back.
Self spoke about Sutton after KU's victory over OSU this season in Stillwater, Okla.
"This is one thing I always thought about Mr. Iba (Henry, legendary OSU coach). I always thought Mr. Iba was taken for granted so much in this area because everyone was always so comfortable around him because they saw him around all the time," Self said. "When you see someone all the time, sometimes maybe you take for granted the magnitude, the role they played in making our game what it is. Bob Knight said, 'Of all the shadows that have been cast, his is the biggest on our game ever.'
"I feel the same thing about coach (Sutton). He's been around, everybody knows of coach, he's around a lot ... all those things sometimes people can take for granted the magnitude he's had on our game. Hopefully he'll be elected into the Hall this year which he richly deserves. He's an amazing coach. I spent three years with him. Things we do every day are things he taught us and taught me. I like to make coach (Larry) Brown proud, Leonard (Hamilton) proud and certainly coach Sutton proud by them watching my teams play. He's pretty awesome."
