ORU's Scott Sutton withdraws name from TU coaching search
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
3/28/12 at 3:43 AM
Related Story: The long search for TU's next basketball coach
TU blog: Tuesday night
thoughts on Tulsa’s
coach search. Was it
any surprise that Scott Sutton withdrew
his name from consideration?
As first reported in the Tulsa World, Oral Roberts basketball coach Scott Sutton has pulled out of the University of Tulsa's coaching search.
Sutton said Tuesday afternoon that he had notified TU athletic director Ross Parmley of his decision.
Sutton is the winningest head coach in ORU history, with a 250-162 record and five Summit League regular-season titles in his 13 years at the helm.
He was one of the first candidates mentioned when TU dismissed Doug Wojcik after seven years at the helm, on March 11.
Sutton had emerged as one of the leading candidates in a field that also includes Kansas assistant Danny Manning and Central Oklahoma head coach Terry Evans.
Sutton said he had a good meeting with Parmley and TU president Steadman Upham last Friday.
"I think they'll hire a good coach, but I just decided that if I'm gonna stay in Tulsa, ORU's the place I'm gonna be," he said. "I've got a great job and work for a great boss (ORU athletic director Mike Carter)."
Inside sources speculated that Sutton had wearied of the process and was interested in exploring other options. Reports have him linked to coaching vacancies at Kansas State and Colorado State.
The Kansas City (Mo.) Star listed him among six potential candidates for the K-State job, replacing Frank Martin, who accepted a similar post Tuesday at the University of South Carolina.
Sutton interviewed for Nebraska's coaching job last week - the Huskers hired Colorado State head coach Tim Miles - and was linked to SMU's vacancy.
Sutton led ORU to a 27-7 record and Summit League regular-season title in 2011-12 and was named conference coach of the year for the second time.
ORU's 27 wins broke a school record at the Division I record. It was Sutton's sixth 20-win season in the past eight years. The Eagles' 17 conference wins tied a Summit League record.
Sutton has often said it would take a "special situation" to make him consider leaving ORU. He reportedly turned down the Bradley job last offseason, and pulled out when believed to be the leading candidate at Wichita State in 2007 and TCU in 2008.
Original Print Headline: Sutton out of TU search
Mike Brown 918-581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Scott Sutton: Sources speculated that Sutton had wearied of the TU hiring process.
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