Eddie Sutton, Hall of Fame basketball coach, dies at 84

UNDATED (AP) _ Hall of Fame basketball coach Eddie Sutton has died of natural causes at 84. That word from Sutton’s family.

Sutton led Kentucky, Arkansas and Oklahoma State to the Final Four and was the first coach to take four schools to the NCAA tournament. He was 806-328 in 37 seasons as a Division I head coach, not counting vacated victories or forfeited games.

Sutton won two SEC titles with Kentucky but had to resign in 1989 after the NCAA announced 18 allegations against the program. Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 3, Sutton fell short as a finalist six times before finally being selected. He had said he believed that the scandal that ended his stint at Kentucky was likely the culprit for his lengthy wait.

He was Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1978 at Arkansas and in 1986 at Kentucky.

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