Eddie Sutton

[PonderinHog]

We just didn't realize how much fun until it was all gone.
I would have never dreamed at the time that Arkansas basketball could fall so far, so fast and stay down this long.

Hey, Him Robken!

Let's get the band back together!

[BrooklynRoss]

I was a student during the Sutton years. I couldn't wait to get out of class so I could go to Barnhill and watch practice. Eddie would instruct his players of all the tendancies of the opposing players on the up-coming game. He not only knew the other team players names, but also their numbers in case our guys didn't know the names. His practices were a thing of beauty. Eddie would run the same play over and over until every player knew excactly where to be on defense while going over every option the other team might do. He would physically put our players where they should be. His teams didn't score a ton of points but they didn't have to because they had such a tenacious defense. I enjoyed the explosive offenses of the Nolan years, but always missed the x's and o's of Eddies teams. I cringe while watching Mike's players who seem totally lost with no sense of direction on defense. I wonder if Mike's practices are anything like Eddie's. I doubt it!

I assume you're joking when you say Eddie had better X's and O's than Richardson.

[panhandlepig]

We just didn't realize how much fun until it was all gone.
I would have never dreamed at the time that Arkansas basketball could fall so far, so fast and stay down this long.

  To be honest, at the time I couldn't believe what those Hog teams were doing. I didn't think about the future. I was too busy enjoying it. I wouldn't be here if those days didnt happen and I didn't live it.

  I'm not optimistic that the Hogs can get there again or even close. Yet, once you've seen it, it is kinda hard to not stick around and hope it can happen again.  :razorback:

[Athog]

I did. I think Sutton was the better X and O coach. Nolan was a system coach.

No doubt! Both effective at the time they coached.

[Inhogswetrust]

You liked watching Sutton teams more than Nolan?

I liked both. It's like food. Different tastes for different days.

[toxichog]

Eddie Sutton was a great coach and did great things at Arkansas.  Nolan Richardson took Arkansas basketball to the top of the College Basketball mountaintop for about a 6 or 7 year period.  We should feel very fortunate to have had them both.

Nolan was a Champion........Eddie was not.......and it does matter.

[GuvHog]

  I wish so too.

  Your second sentence is an understatement. 

   I have respect and gratitude for both coaches.

They weren't perfect men. But dang, it was fun.  :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

I 100% agree.

[ShadowHawg]

Just for an update.. what did Nolan do wrong before he finally cracked?  Not get back to the Championship game?

He only won at the level Sutton did.

[FineAsSwine]

How Nolan left the University versus how Eddie did has to factor into this somewhere as well. 
Neither distinguished themselves in their departure but Nolan so poisoned the water given the manner he left that the program still hasn't recovered (to be fair, the entire blame for that cannot be laid on Nolan, but the majority of it can).

BS

[Atlhogfan1]

Just for an update.. what did Nolan do wrong before he finally cracked?  Not get back to the Championship game?

Just for an update..not getting back to Championship game is an understatement. 
NIT - 15-11 regular season
NCAA 2nd R
NCAA 2nd R
NCAA 1st R - 15-14 regular season
NCAA 1st R
13-14

Double digit losses 6 of his last 7 seasons.
117-74 over last 6 seasons - 19.5 - 12.3

[k.c.hawg]

Typical F'ng Hogville. Cannot embrace both coaches that made the basketball program relevant....it has to be one or the other!!

Eddie 260-75 with 9 straight tournament appearances and gave us the triplets, Darrell Walker, Alvin Robertson Joe Klein.

Nolan 390-170 with 13 tournaments in 14 years, MayDay and Miller, Big Nasty, Scotty back to back finals and a Championship.

But on Hogville one of them has to suck compared to the other. Go figure.

[Kevin]

Typical F'ng Hogville. Cannot embrace both coaches that made the basketball program relevant....it has to be one or the other!!

Eddie 260-75 with 9 straight tournament appearances and gave us the triplets, Darrell Walker, Alvin Robertson Joe Klein.

Nolan 390-170 with 13 tournaments in 14 years, MayDay and Miller, Big Nasty, Scotty back to back finals and a Championship.

But on Hogville one of them has to suck compared to the other. Go figure.

truth

both great coaches, Arkansas was fortunate to have both lead the program

[The_Iceman]

Nolan and Eddie were different, but both Elite coaches. Mike Anderson is not.

[Inhogswetrust]

I assume you're joking when you say Eddie had better X's and O's than Richardson.

It's like a football offensive scheme and philosophy. They were very different. Also something to note is both stressed defense.

[Inhogswetrust]

Typical F'ng Hogville. Cannot embrace both coaches that made the basketball program relevant....it has to be one or the other!!

Eddie 260-75 with 9 straight tournament appearances and gave us the triplets, Darrell Walker, Alvin Robertson Joe Klein.

Nolan 390-170 with 13 tournaments in 14 years, MayDay and Miller, Big Nasty, Scotty back to back finals and a Championship.

But on Hogville one of them has to suck compared to the other. Go figure.

I personally know two of those triplets you mentioned BUT they were not known as or called the triplets. That was Brewer, Delph and Moncrief.

[ricepig]

I personally know two of those triplets you mentioned BUT they were not known as or called the triplets. That was Brewer, Delph and Moncrief.

He's saying he gave us the triplets and those three players.

[k.c.hawg]

I personally know two of those triplets you mentioned BUT they were not known as or called the triplets. That was Brewer, Delph and Moncrief.

The moniker "the triplets" is what took Razorback basketball from being a no name team that played in an irrelevant basketball conference to being a nation wide brand. Olajuwon, Drexler, Young, Micheaux and Anders might not have been "called" Phi Slama Jama but the were known as that.

[FineAsSwine]

Nolan Richardson was a great coach that won at a high level everywhere he coached except pro women's basketball.  He deserves far more credit than he gets.  Fans were griping about a slide in the program after the 96 season, but always fail to give due cause to the NCAA ruining two recruiting seasons with investigation rumors and then dismantling a top 5 recruiting class forcing two players to leave the program.  The NCAA later admitted they had screwed up.  There were a percentage of fans that hated NR from the start and they jumped off the band wagon as soon as we lost to UCLA.  They never gave NR slack about the NCAA when he had done nothing wrong.  They wanted him gone just like Broyles wanted him gone before the first final four run and they had no patience to let him build it back up to prominence.

[WilsonHog]

I no longer buy the "Nolan poisoned the well" argument. That's sentiment has been thrown out through three coaching hires and 16 intervening years. I could see it through Stan Heath's tenure, but what's the shelf life? 20 years? 25? 30?

At some point, the responsibility has to rest solely with the coach at the helm of the program.

[Atlhogfan1]

Nolan Richardson was a great coach that won at a high level everywhere he coached except pro women's basketball.  He deserves far more credit than he gets.  Fans were griping about a slide in the program after the 96 season, but always fail to give due cause to the NCAA ruining two recruiting seasons with investigation rumors and then dismantling a top 5 recruiting class forcing two players to leave the program.  The NCAA later admitted they had screwed up.  There were a percentage of fans that hated NR from the start and they jumped off the band wagon as soon as we lost to UCLA.  They never gave NR slack about the NCAA when he had done nothing wrong.  They wanted him gone just like Broyles wanted him gone before the first final four run and they had no patience to let him build it back up to prominence.

Nolan was a great coach.  Why he is in the HOF.  An innovator who has been vastly underrated as an X's and O's coach.  His public/sideline persona was also very misleading.  He is a great person as well.  Lived a hard life and had to deal with some injustices.   

The program declined and it wasn't all due to the NCAA investigation.  The Kim Wood academic scandal did happen.  Our program was at a point at the time where it didn't need to go after JC/academic reaches. 

Why would anyone have jumped off after the UCLA loss?  Makes no sense.  The % to which you are referring was very small and insignificant.  By the 99-2000 season, it was obvious the program had declined and Nolan didn't appear to know how to recruit his way out of it.  The academic reaches weren't going to happen any longer.  Or at least shouldn't have but he did spend up to the end recruiting players like Demario Eddins.  What a ridiculously poor last class other than Igoudala whom at the time was more athlete than basketball player and Modica.  Emeka Okafor strongly considered the Hogs but in the end chose UConn because of our program's lack of emphasis on education.  AAU influence was growing and he had managed to piss off some key people in state.  In spite of what some think, winning the NC didn't make him coach for life to the point the program could deteriorate to whatever levels it may and he could remain as coach. 

[Atlhogfan1]

I no longer buy the "Nolan poisoned the well" argument. That's sentiment has been thrown out through three coaching hires and 16 intervening years. I could see it through Stan Heath's tenure, but what's the shelf life? 20 years? 25? 30?

At some point, the responsibility has to rest solely with the coach at the helm of the program.

Domino effect although a bit of a reach now.  His actions did set in motion Heath whose failure to have his program in good standing academically contributed to Altman bailing and Pel being hired which made Anderson's hiring inevitable.  Maybe it was part of Nolan's grand plan to get Mike the job. 

[majp51]

Who won a national title and played for another? I cant remember.... maybe you in your overwhelming brilliance can point me in the right direction.

You are reading too much into things. He said Sutton was a better X's and O's coach, which I think is pretty obvious. Doesn't make Nolan a bad X's and O's coach, just that his success was his innovation and his system at the time, moreso than technical ability of coaching. Playing in a tourney like March Madness means you have to be really lucky too.

[majp51]

No your right there but Nolan would still have to be considered the golden age of hogball. I will never forgive Frank Broyles for how he treated Arkansas royalty Nolan.

Really? Nolan and Frank were like Jimmy and Jerry in Dallas, and just like Jimmy Johnson  Nolan thought he was bigger than the Boss. Nolan thought he called Frank's bluff on national TV, only to find out he had been suckered into bluffing Frank instead.

"Never Bring a knife to a Gunfight", and while Nolan did have a Machete he still got shot.

On the one hand I feel sorry for Nolan, on the other he brought the ruination on his own head.

[majp51]

Just for an update.. what did Nolan do wrong before he finally cracked?  Not get back to the Championship game?

Well how about the whopping fat 0.0 GPA his players had? It made National Headlines. Whether true or not, it made Nolan seem only and always about Nolan.

[ShadowHawg]

How fast we forget that Nolan's lack of emphasis on fundamentals cost Arkansas the '95 championship.

Dwight Stewart wasn't healthy having been injured and missed games. Darnell Robinson had a stress fracture and Corliss was playing with a back injury.

Nolan's teams were very fundamentally sound. Only people with little basketball acumen think otherwise.

[majp51]

Domino effect although a bit of a reach now.  His actions did set in motion Heath whose failure to have his program in good standing academically contributed to Altman bailing and Pel being hired which made Anderson's hiring inevitable.  Maybe it was part of Nolan's grand plan to get Mike the job. 

Well I don't think it was a reach to claim posoned well for Heath. As someone who was relatively new to the area at the time, it looked more like a "See we aren't racist" hire, instead of a good hire. But if it poisoned the well 6 years of CMA would have healed it not the least of which would be CMA has had CNR blessing forever.

[Dominicanhog]

"Never Bring a knife to a Gunfight", and while Nolan did have a Machete he still got shot.

and Hawgball has been dead ever since.

[ShadowHawg]

How Nolan left the University versus how Eddie did has to factor into this somewhere as well. 
Neither distinguished themselves in their departure but Nolan so poisoned the water given the manner he left that the program still hasn't recovered (to be fair, the entire blame for that cannot be laid on Nolan, but the majority of it can).

Wrong. The program had to be completely rebuilt after Eddie as well.

Heath was able to recruit just fine.

The demise of the basketball program falls directly at the feet of f Broyles and White. They made back to back horrendous hires.

[Dominicanhog]

Well how about the whopping fat 0.0 GPA his players had? It made National Headlines. Whether true or not, it made Nolan seem only and always about Nolan.

don't remember that, was this while he was coaching?  Do you have a link?

[Sivad]

don't remember that, was this while he was coaching? 

Nolan Richardson never graduated a player from his program.

[1highhog]

How fast we forget that Nolan's lack of emphasis on fundamentals cost Arkansas the '95 championship. 

That's not what cost us the Championship in 95, Nolan has come out and said so before.  Have you ever watched that game and watched Nolan's demeanor?  Where was he at during the game?  Rewatch the 94 game and tell me where he was during the game and notice his demeanor, what's the difference in the two games?  I'll tell you, Nolan wasn't his old self and in fact he wasn't Coaching, he was slumped on the bench looking dejected, why?  Before I say, let's see if anyone knows.

[Dominicanhog]

Nolan Richardson never graduated a player from his program.

Really, never... I wasn't aware.. I think Mayberry, Bradley, Day, Thurman all received their degree.. probably a few others but if you say nobody OK..

[majp51]

don't remember that, was this while he was coaching?  Do you have a link?

I had remembered incorrectly m NR had a 0% graduation rate for African Americans on his squad from 1990-1994, in fact you might actually be able to credit Nolan with helping create the APR system

http://assets.espn.go.com/ncb/s/2002/0228/1342915.html

[12247]

Both these coaches were great BB coaches and we were very lucky to have them.  Broyles could find and hire well.  I believe he treated Nolan bad over a period of time.  I personally liked Eddie's system of BB better than Nolan's.  But Eddie never won a championship and Nolan did, period.  Both coaches teams were a beautiful thing to watch.  Eddies teams defended and played accurate and efficient basketball.  Nolan's teams run you into the ground, made you give up.  They came at you in waves, 10 or more players all bought into the program and made the opponent finally wave a white flag.  You were always surprised when we suffered a loss.  Now we are surprised if we win one.  Mike Anderson needs to be replaced.  We need to move on and try and find another up and comer who has fire in his belly.  We need the University to again become a destination for the talent that grows up in Arkansas.  This could be done if we could find a bright young coach who chose to refuse to be denied.

[Dominicanhog]

I had remembered incorrectly m NR had a 0% graduation rate for African Americans on his squad from 1990-1994, in fact you might actually be able to credit Nolan with helping create the APR system

http://assets.espn.go.com/ncb/s/2002/0228/1342915.html

You also said never along with none.. this article was for black kids that came in during the 90-91 school year and didn't graduate in 6 years.. as I pointed out at least 3 of those came back to school and did get their degree.. also their were more than 30 schools on that list, many of them big names.. but none of that is as important as spreading false information about a coach on a message board .. so carry on, make it up to fit your agenda.

btw.. How many of these Kentucky kids are graduating?

[FineAsSwine]

You also said never along with none.. this article was for black kids that came in during the 90-91 school year and didn't graduate in 6 years.. as I pointed out at least 3 of those came back to school and did get their degree.. also their were more than 30 schools on that list, many of them big names.. but none of that is as important as spreading false information about a coach on a message board .. so carry on, make it up to fit your agenda.

btw.. How many of these Kentucky kids are graduating?

Sad but true, especially on Hogville. smh. Bashing Nolan with a false smear in a thread that is supposed to be about Sutton (who had quite a few well documented negatives) makes the agenda crystal clear.

[Biggus Piggus]

Nolan Richardson never graduated a player from his program.

I wonder how some of them got the credentials to become college coaches. Must have gone to the University of Phoenix or something.

[DLUXHOG]

Please....  Sutton did say that "he'd crawl on his knees to coach at U.K."......  whereas Nolan did get a NC at Arkansas....    regardless, both were really great coaches...... but.... my admiration is for Nolan.....

[majp51]

You also said never along with none.. this article was for black kids that came in during the 90-91 school year and didn't graduate in 6 years.. as I pointed out at least 3 of those came back to school and did get their degree.. also their were more than 30 schools on that list, many of them big names.. but none of that is as important as spreading false information about a coach on a message board .. so carry on, make it up to fit your agenda.

btw.. How many of these Kentucky kids are graduating?

Err, I'm not Sivad's socket puppet, not is Sivad my sock puppet. So who has the agenda while putting words in my mouth?

I didn't use the word never or none in this discussion , but go ahead and blindly attack anyone who doesn't agree with your narrative 100%. There is plenty of blame to go around for how Nolan ended here, including Nolan himself.

[EastexHawg]

I assume you're joking when you say Eddie had better X's and O's than Richardson.

Why would he be joking?

[GuvHog]

Please....  Sutton did say that "he'd crawl on his knees to coach at U.K."......  whereas Nolan did get a NC at Arkansas....    regardless, both were really great coaches...... but.... my admiration is for Nolan.....

Yes, Eddie Sutton did say that. It was meant specifically for 1 man but some on here can't seem to figure that out. At least he did publicly apologize to the U of A, it's team, and it's fans for that remark after saying that he seriously regretted saying it.

That being said, I agree that both he and Nolan were great head coaches.

[The OTR]

Yes, Eddie Sutton did say that. It was meant specifically for 1 man but some on here can't seem to figure that out. At least he did publicly apologize to the U of A, it's team, and it's fans for that remark after saying that he seriously regretted saying it.

That being said, I agree that both he and Nolan were great head coaches.

He apologized but I never accepted his apology.  To me he ranks a distant third on most important U of A basketball coaches list behind Nolan and Mike. 

[Dominicanhog]

Yes, Eddie Sutton did say that. It was meant specifically for 1 man but some on here can't seem to figure that out. At least he did publicly apologize to the U of A, it's team, and it's fans for that remark after saying that he seriously regretted saying it.

That being said, I agree that both he and Nolan were great head coaches.

weren't Nolan's comments really directed at one man.. and Lou's, Kenny's?

[Jackrabbit Hog]

weren't Nolan's comments really directed at one man.. and Lou's, Kenny's?

I sense a trend here..

The White Haired Devil!!

[majp51]

He apologized but I never accepted his apology.  To me he ranks a distant third on most important U of A basketball coaches list behind Nolan and Mike. 

Why Mike? All his defenders, including you, may be right and he might just be taking us through the scenic route to relevance again, but to date 1 NCAA appearance in 5 years (possibly 6 but to soon to say yet) will be the longest drought Arkansas has experienced under a single coach since the tournament has expanded to 64 or more teams. He just hasn't accomplished anything of note while at Arkansas as a head coach. No National Titles, no NIT Titles, No Final Fours, No Conference Titles, and a grand total of 1 NCAA Tournament appearance.

He's a Nice guy AFAIK, and as a rule he seems to get his kids to be good citizens and scholar-athletes, but on the court there is nothing to point him to being anything more than another failed Head Coaching experiment in a line of failed head coaching experiments since pitching Nolan overboard.

[The OTR]

Why Mike? All his defenders, including you, may be right and he might just be taking us through the scenic route to relevance again, but to date 1 NCAA appearance in 5 years (possibly 6 but to soon to say yet) will be the longest drought Arkansas has experienced under a single coach since the tournament has expanded to 64 or more teams. He just hasn't accomplished anything of note while at Arkansas as a head coach. No National Titles, no NIT Titles, No Final Fours, No Conference Titles, and a grand total of 1 NCAA Tournament appearance.

He's a Nice guy AFAIK, and as a rule he seems to get his kids to be good citizens and scholar-athletes, but on the court there is nothing to point him to being anything more than another failed Head Coaching experiment in a line of failed head coaching experiments since pitching Nolan overboard.

Simmer down, simmer down.  You're getting all worked up over nothing and if you're not careful you're going to overheat and then you're going to need to lie down and rest. 

Mike hasn't won as many games as we all would have liked.  But we were getting there with Portis and Qualls.  And they left before Mike expected them to and that shot us in the foot. We will recover and we are recovering. 

They didn't build the Gateway Arch in a day and Mike isn't going to have this team where he wants them tomorrow or next week.  Everyone needs to be patient.  Especially you.

[majp51]

condescension and excuses deleted for brevity

Your excuses and condescension still didn't answer the question as to why a HC with zero meaningful accomplishments on the court during his time is the second best Arkansas head coach of all time.

BTW- If you are a troll, like Forrest City, you got me. Congratulations.

[deserthog]

Why would he be joking?

actually I've been told I have a great sense of humor, dry and somewhat sarcastic, but when you have a face only a mother would love, I needed it. However, I wasn't joking in this case.

[hogfan10]

Sad but true, especially on Hogville. smh. Bashing Nolan with a false smear in a thread that is supposed to be about Sutton (who had quite a few well documented negatives) makes the agenda crystal clear.

Yup, it suck's to be bashed with a false smear.
The Irony!

[FineAsSwine]

Yup, it suck's to be bashed with a false smear.
The Irony!

I can see that you don't know what irony means.