Sean Sutton done...

[Kermit]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3323779

Source: Sutton out after only two seasons as Cowboys coach
ESPN.com news services

Updated: April 1, 2008, 12:28 PM ET
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Sean Sutton, who kept the family name in place at Oklahoma State after succeeding his father as coach, will not return for a third season, a source close to the program told ESPN Radio's Doug Gottlieb.

Sutton will be paid for the remaining three years on his five-year contract, the source said Tuesday.

A former Oklahoma State guard and an assistant on Eddie Sutton's coaching staff, Sean Sutton was unable to get the Cowboys to the NCAA tournament. He was 39-29 with two first-round NIT defeats.

With a succession plan already in place, Sutton first was named interim coach at Oklahoma State in February 2006 after his father took a leave of absence following an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Eddie Sutton did not coach the Cowboys again but did jump back into the game at San Francisco as the Dons' interim coach. Sutton, who said he would not return to the program, has 804 career victories.

Scott Sutton, the youngest son of Eddie Sutton, is the coach at Oral Roberts.

[degenerate_gambler]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3323779

Source: Sutton out after only two seasons as Cowboys coach

Scott Sutton, the youngest son of Eddie Sutton, is the coach at Oral Roberts.


Jeez, how many of those sweathogs are there?

[MajorMike]

http://www.nerfect.com/kaplanbday/sweathogs.jpg

[RonMexico]

"Before Eddie Sutton took over the program at his alma mater in 1990, Oklahoma State had made the NCAA tournament only once in the previous 25 years."

And there's something wrong with Aggie fans cheering their team right now?

[Brutalis]

You ain't ya daddy (who made his name at Arkansas) and ya never be close son.

[MajorMike]

Actually, he reinvented arKy basketball.

I wonder if we will get a better HC than South Bama's old coach? (who was recruited, played for and coached under Sutton, btw)

[degenerate_gambler]

The thought of Bill Self leaving Kansas to go to OSU is laughable, no matter how much $$ T Boone can throw at him.


Maybe Kelvin Sampson can go for the the hat trick in Oklahoma.

[MajorMike]

Are you kidding? Boone couldn't afford his cell phone bill.

I'm hearing Jamie Dixon or Lon Krueger right now.

[K-State Spur]

Dixon's a west coast guy and wouldn't even interview with Cal, highly doubtful that he leaves Pitt.

[RonMexico]

Actually, he reinvented arKy basketball.

I wonder if we will get a better HC than South Bama's old coach? (who was recruited, played for and coached under Sutton, btw)

Last I'd checked, John Pelphrey's team made the tournament this year...

[Doug Collins]

Are you kidding? Boone couldn't afford his cell phone bill.

I'm hearing Jamie Dixon or Lon Krueger right now.

I say you go for the Sutton trifecta and pick up Scott.

[RonMexico]

Or get Bryce Drew

[j-6]

Last I'd checked, John Pelphrey's team made the tournament this year...

So did the school he left to go to Arkansas. Maybe Kevin O'Neill wants to come to Stillwater.

[MajorMike]

I'm sure he WANTS to.

[RonMexico]

I'm sure he WANTS to.

I think you guys would be lucky to get someone like Kevin O'Neill... aka the guy who was named the successor to a program that has been to the NCAA Tournament 24 straight seasons.

And I don't even like Arizona.

[Doug Collins]

You ain't ya daddy (who made his name at Arkansas) and ya never be close son.

I heard Billy Gillespie just landed at the Stillwater airport and the contract should be done by tonight...

[MajorMike]

You know, he supposedly never signed his UK contract.

[Doug Collins]

You know, he supposedly never signed his UK contract.

He hasn't. Maybe he was secretly waiting for this opening...

[RonMexico]

I think it's pretty obvious that Billy would be making a lateral move...

[MajorMike]

Record: Career (118-71), at Kentucky (18-13)

Coaching background: Kentucky head coach (2007-08), head coach Texas A&M (2004-07), head coach UTEP (2002-2004),

Bio: Gillispie took over the reigns at Kentucky after totally turning Texas A&M around. Got the A&M gig after a remarkable turnaround at UTEP. The Wildcats struggled early in Gillispie's first season, limping to a 9-9 record five games into the SEC regular season. The Cats turned it around to finish with an 18-13 record and NCAA bid.

Why Gillispie: He knows the Big 12 conference inside and out and is an "Iba disciple." Gillispie still has not signed the contract that Kentucky put in front of him last year.

[j-6]

The one "Okie State guy" I know is my buddy Spence. I've always thought it was uberpimp that he owned a Thurman Thomas jersey rather than a Barry Sanders one, 'cause he went to school then. So just on that fact I assume he knows more about Pokes athletics than I do.

He swears that his school and T. Boone's money is going to bring in an elite coach. C'mon, really? Would OSU drop 5 mill a year on somebody? And what's elite, anyway?

[MajorMike]

I was told Boone's offer for Self is 40 for 10.

[JamStone]

I was told Boone's offer for Self is 40 for 10.

That dude is crazy. Why not make it 15 and an even 60?

I actually think they should make a pitch to Kevin Stallings from Vanderbilt.

[Brutalis]

Actually, he reinvented arKy basketball.

I wonder if we will get a better HC than South Bama's old coach? (who was recruited, played for and coached under Sutton, btw)
Dumbass post of April nominee.

[Brutalis]

I heard Billy Gillespie just landed at the Stillwater airport and the contract should be done by tonight...
Hahahaha I wouldn't doubt it! Billy is a playa hata nigga!

[Brutalis]

I think it's pretty obvious that Billy would be making a lateral move...
Lateral? You're being too nice.

[Brutalis]

So did the school he left to go to Arkansas. Maybe Kevin O'Neill wants to come to Stillwater.
John recruited some good players there and his recruiting skills showed as they shined this year.

[MajorMike]

Dumbass post of April nominee.

How many SWC titles did they have in the 50s, 60s and 70s before he showed up? How many did they have while he was there?

Thanks for playing.

[RonMexico]

Lateral? You're being too nice.

I was obviously joking.

[RonMexico]

How many SWC titles did they have in the 50s, 60s and 70s before he showed up? How many did they have while he was there?

Thanks for playing.

Well, Eddie Sutton isn't going to be your next coach, so it's a moot point. Remind me: how many NCAA tournaments had Oklahoma State been to in the previous 25 years before he showed up? That's right... 1.

[Brutalis]

I'm sayin.. why waste my energy Capt'n, give me somethin good. It's getting warmer, you can at least hear the pads clapping.

[Brutalis]

I was obviously joking.
I know.

[MajorMike]

1950 - 1975: 1 NCAA appearance
1975 - 1985: 9 NCAA appearances

1950 - 1975: 2 SWC Titles
1975 - 1985: 5 SWC Titles

1950 - 1975: 9 seasons over .500 in conf
1975 - 1985: 11 seasons over .500 in conf

1950 - 1975: 0 20 win seasons
1975 - 1985: 9 20 win seasons

All the "Yea, buts" and "Well what abouts" in the world don't change the facts. arKy was a piss-poor basketball program in the 50s, 60s and early 70s until he came along.

Timing? Coincidence? Luck? You know, it very well could be any or all of those; however the fact remains he recreated arKy basketball from the 5 single digit winning seasons (overall!) in the 10 years before he got there to an every-year NCAA team. Period, end of story.

Further proof: no matter what happened while he was at UK, you don't get a job like that by being a slouch at your previous job.

[MajorMike]

Sit a spell, children, it's story time.

There's been a certain buzz lately about a job. It's a position that just opened. It's a position that those "in the know" believe is a good job, but not a great job. It's a post those people say that only two have seen success at. It's a job that, they say, won't attract the high-level candidates. Basically, these people feel like the job is really tough, that no one would want it and, if someone fills it, they will have a huge mountain to climb to be successful.

What job is it?

No, I'm not talking about replacing Mike Rowe on "Dirty Jobs." The job in question here is the head coaching job of the Oklahoma State basketball program.

If your only source for information within the borders of the Sooner state is television, newspaper or radio, you are probably running around with your head cut off worried about the future of OSU hoops. After all, when you've just cut ties with a family largely responsible for the resurgence of the program, which was directly tied to the first guy who originally made it the program it is, I could understand the reason for concern.

But there's a lot more to this situation than that. And those standard media outlets are underestimating things. More on that in a bit.

Allow me to take an aside for a moment. As you may or may not know, most of the "established" media members in Oklahoma have ties to another school in this state. Which is totally fine, by the way. That was their choice. Many of them do a good job covering sports in this state in an even-handed way. Bob Barry, Jr. (KFOR-TV) is one of those. So is Berry Tramel (Daily Oklahoman). Unfortunately, there are others who aren't as neutral. And they all have a pulpit to opine about the OSU basketball coaching search. And they're all taking advantage of that stage.

OK, back on topic. With that as a background, many of the people I've heard in the media establishment are telling their viewers/listeners/readers that OSU isn't a top-level job, which is true. But they're also spreading something which is un-true, and that is that the job isn't super-great, either, only fair. Or solid. Or pretty good. But nothing more.

And why is that? I don't know. It could be their own personal biases coming through. It could be their honest take on things. Whatever the reasoning, it seems kind of goofy to me.

The fact is, after the super-huge, mass-traditional schools named Indiana, Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky, OSU is arguably one of the top basketball schools in the nation in overall tradition. Those other schools are top-level, A jobs. They're the ultimate destination for just about any coach in the game. As for OSU? They're on that next level. I call it the B+ level. They're amongst a group of schools with very solid tradition, just not on the level above. Let me elaborate.

First, a few facts about the OSU basketball program:

– 2 national championships
– 6 Final Fours
– 22 NCAA Tournament appearances

Those are some pretty gaudy numbers, right? In the college basketball landscape, they're some of the best.

Those two national titles? Only five schools have more (UCLA - 11, Kentucky - 7, Indiana - 5, North Carolina - 4, Duke - 3). But where's Kansas? Tied with OSU. Yup, all those Rock Chalks and only two titles to show for it.

How about those Final Fours? Only eight schools have more than the Pokes.

Those tourney appearances? OSU ranks in the top 20 in that category. (By the way, there are over 300 Div. I schools now.)

That's an impressive program legacy, no matter how you cut it.

On top of that, the program has respect amongst the national media. ESPN.com recently ran a story about OSU being named the 15th most-valuable program by Forbes Magazine. A few years ago, CBS Sportsline named Gallagher-Iba Arena the top collegiate arena in the country.

Yet supposed sports "experts" believe OSU isn't a top 20 job. Is it an elite job? No, but it's not the pauper program some would suggest. It's a very solid, near-elite school overall. Have there been some dry spans? Absolutely. But every program sees its share of ups and downs.

That gets us back to the issue at hand: What kind of coach will consider OSU? A wide array, I can assure you. Really good, established coaches will. Great coaches will. Young up-and-coming coaches will lust after the chance. Mike Holder will get plenty of bites. All you have to do is factor in the tradition of the program's history, the ability to go far in the tournament, a stunning facility known as one of the best, if not the best, and an athletic department which will support the program as well as any in the nation.

The point I'm getting at is this: Don't believe what the media moguls in this state are telling you. Bear in mind that at this point last year, many of those same voices were sure that the John Calipari era was set to begin in Norman.

OSU might not attract coaches that have won a national title yet, but ones with Final Fours on their resume are definitely possibilities. Those media types might think they have it all figured out, but judging from what has been put out there so far, most have proven they're not close to the situation at hand.

This should be an interesting search and seeing the kind of success that Holder has had in past endeavors makes me think that any name out there is a possibility. Others can choose to think whatever seems acceptable to them. Very soon, we'll all know what transpires.

[samikeyp]

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have never won a national basketball title.

[Brutalis]

Those stats are from Sutton taking over Arkansas?

[degenerate_gambler]

Those stats are from Sutton taking over Arkansas?



you're probably an 80's baby and don't know jack about the SWC..

[RonMexico]

Way to quote an article, but not the author, Mike. Of course, the only biased writers in Oklahoma root for the Sooners.

[MajorMike]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/seth_davis/04/02/indiana.crean/1.html


• People who are locked in on the possibility of Bill Self filling the vacancy at Oklahoma State are missing the boat. Self is not going anywhere, partly because he has an athletic director in Lew Perkins who will give him a sufficient raise to make sure he stays. The guy Oklahoma State is targeting first and foremost is Billy Gillispie. I'm hearing that the school, backed by billionaire oilman Boone Pickens, an OSU alum, is preparing an offer to pay Gillispie $3.5 million per year. I still think there's a better chance than not that Gillispie will remain at Kentucky, but with that kind of scratch on the table Gillispie would be crazy not to listen.

[K-State Spur]

i don't see why the situation at KU would be significantly different than that at Kentucky.

KU is willing to pay for a basketball coach but Kentucky isn't??????

i doubt OSU gets either, but i'd see Self making the jump before Clyde.

[MajorMike]

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
4/4/2008


When asked to respond to media speculation that his client, Kansas' Bill Self, could become Oklahoma State's basketball coach, Tulsa attorney Stuart Campbell replied, "I never say never."

"Kansas is one of the top five jobs in the country," Campbell said during a Thursday telephone interview. "Any school that would (approach) a Kansas or Kentucky or Duke or North Carolina coach would sure need eye-popping type numbers (money)."

Campbell represents not only Self, but Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, Norm Roberts of St. John's and Tim Jankovich of Illinois State. Gillispie and Roberts were Self assistants at the University of Tulsa. Jankovich was on Self's Kansas staff.

As OSU begins its search for the successor to Sean Sutton, who resigned on Tuesday, state and national media expect Cowboy athletic director Mike Holder to identify Self as the No. 1 candidate.

ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "I think (Self) could make a move. He certainly has to listen."

The support of billionaire donor Boone Pickens could place Oklahoma State in a position to be able to offer a big-money deal to Self, who played at OSU in 1982-85 and was a Cowboy assistant in 1987-93. The highest-paid coach in college basketball is Florida's Billy Donovan at $3.5 million a year.

Self currently makes $1.375 million a year at Kansas.

"If (OSU officials) were to ask me what they should do, I would suggest they go a different direction," Self said during a press conference on Tuesday. "I'm not being remotely disrespectful to my alma mater. My intentions are to be here at Kansas, period."

Campbell said his goal for Self and other coaching clients is "to make them the highest-paid coaches in the country, and in places where they can thrive. Every coach wants a national championship. Every coach desires to win. There are a lot of things in the formula. As an attorney, I look at what's best for my client."

On Saturday, Self's Jayhawks face North Carolina in an NCAA Final Four semifinal at San Antonio.

Asked whether he expects OSU to contact Self, Campbell said, "I honestly have no idea. I would expect Oklahoma State would respect Bill enough that nothing is going to happen until the season is over. When the season is over, then it's that time of the year (when schools hire coaches). I go through it every year, just about. It is a hectic time of year."

Since Self became the Kansas coach in 2003, no other school or NBA team has approached him with a job offer, Campbell said.

Again addressing the OSU possibility, Campbell said, "I am completely in a wait-and-see mode. I never say never. They would have to be eye-popping numbers.

"I know Bill is very happy at Kansas. He loves the fans at Kansas. But I don't close any doors, if I can help it."

[MajorMike]

I was told Boone's offer for Self is 40 for 10.


Billionaire OSU booster wants Self
Posted: Monday April 07, 2008 06:33AM ET
According to numerous media reports, Oklahoma State is prepared to offer Bill Self, win or lose tonight, a salary of $4 million a year, plus a $6 million signing bonus. That would not only nearly triple the $1.375 million he makes at Kansas but would fly past the $3.5 million paid the current highest-paid coach, Florida's Billy Donovan. The impetus behind it is one T. Boone Pickens, Oklahoma State's $3 billion "booster." He donated $165 million to his beloved school's athletic department, which, in turn, gave it back to him to invest. That lump donation has grown to $300 million. Oklahoma State, in kind, renamed its expanded football stadium Boone Pickens Stadium. Pickens is also a caretaker of the school's image. He turned on legendary basketball coach Eddie Sutton after his drunken driving charge in 2006. That led to his resignation, and Pickens never warmed to Sutton's successor, son Sean, who was forced to resign after a 17-16 season.

[RonMexico]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3522480