JimBob
12-29-2007, 09:28 AM
Sutton's debut fizzles
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
12/29/2007
OGDEN, Utah -- Eddie Sutton was looking for career victory No. 799 in his first game as the new head basketball coach at the University of San Francisco. Instead, he got tagged with career defeat No. 316.
"You can't worry about that," the former Oklahoma State coach said when asked if he was disappointed about missing an opportunity to get closer to his goal of 800 wins. "It will come. I just want this team to get better."
Sutton's squad was beaten 62-54 at Weber State in a Friday game played before 2,518 fans and plenty of empty purple seats at Dee Events Center. His Dons rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit and twice got as close as three points down the stretch, but the Wildcats hit 7-of-7 free throw attempts in the last 46 seconds to spoil Sutton's return-to-coaching game.
Sutton said he was pleased that his team fought back. He said many teams that have be come accustomed to losing tend to "roll over and play dead" when they get behind. He saw enough good things that he answered "oh, yeah" when asked if he knows he did the right thing by coming out of retirement.
Weber State coach Randy Rahe said he was fortunate to catch USF now instead of later because he expects the Dons to be a different team later in the year.
"Two weeks from now, we will be a lot better than we are now," Sutton said, indicating that the program can't be fixed overnight. "I'm not a miracle worker."
Sutton probably doesn't know all of his players' names yet, but he's getting acquainted pretty quickly, according to guard Manny Quezada. Sutton was named USF's interim coach Wednesday. He flew to Utah to meet his players for the first time Thursday and coached them a day later.
"He's a legend," Quezada said. "We're lucky to have someone of his caliber be able to coach us."
Sutton, wearing a Santa Claus tie and a "Remember the 10" pin, ended a retirement that lasted nearly two years. He coached in his first game since since a Feb. 8, 2006, loss to 20th-ranked Oklahoma. He was credited for four OSU victories that occurred during a medical leave of absence that followed and he announced his retirement after the 2005-06 season.
When Sutton, fifth-winningest coach in men's Division I history, was introduced Friday, a few fans whistled and one was spotted giving a fist-pump. Afterward, USF forward and Texas Tech transfer Dior Lowhorn described Sutton as being similar to Bobby Knight "without the yelling," although Lowhorn quickly pointed out that he meant no offense to Knight, who "yells to motivate."
The Dons scored only two points in the first seven-and-a-half minutes and, during that stretch, freshman guard Myron Strong threw a pass to an open referee on the perimeter. Strong returned to finish the game, but USF doomed itself with a slow second-half start (one field goal in the first six-and-a-half minutes.
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
12/29/2007
OGDEN, Utah -- Eddie Sutton was looking for career victory No. 799 in his first game as the new head basketball coach at the University of San Francisco. Instead, he got tagged with career defeat No. 316.
"You can't worry about that," the former Oklahoma State coach said when asked if he was disappointed about missing an opportunity to get closer to his goal of 800 wins. "It will come. I just want this team to get better."
Sutton's squad was beaten 62-54 at Weber State in a Friday game played before 2,518 fans and plenty of empty purple seats at Dee Events Center. His Dons rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit and twice got as close as three points down the stretch, but the Wildcats hit 7-of-7 free throw attempts in the last 46 seconds to spoil Sutton's return-to-coaching game.
Sutton said he was pleased that his team fought back. He said many teams that have be come accustomed to losing tend to "roll over and play dead" when they get behind. He saw enough good things that he answered "oh, yeah" when asked if he knows he did the right thing by coming out of retirement.
Weber State coach Randy Rahe said he was fortunate to catch USF now instead of later because he expects the Dons to be a different team later in the year.
"Two weeks from now, we will be a lot better than we are now," Sutton said, indicating that the program can't be fixed overnight. "I'm not a miracle worker."
Sutton probably doesn't know all of his players' names yet, but he's getting acquainted pretty quickly, according to guard Manny Quezada. Sutton was named USF's interim coach Wednesday. He flew to Utah to meet his players for the first time Thursday and coached them a day later.
"He's a legend," Quezada said. "We're lucky to have someone of his caliber be able to coach us."
Sutton, wearing a Santa Claus tie and a "Remember the 10" pin, ended a retirement that lasted nearly two years. He coached in his first game since since a Feb. 8, 2006, loss to 20th-ranked Oklahoma. He was credited for four OSU victories that occurred during a medical leave of absence that followed and he announced his retirement after the 2005-06 season.
When Sutton, fifth-winningest coach in men's Division I history, was introduced Friday, a few fans whistled and one was spotted giving a fist-pump. Afterward, USF forward and Texas Tech transfer Dior Lowhorn described Sutton as being similar to Bobby Knight "without the yelling," although Lowhorn quickly pointed out that he meant no offense to Knight, who "yells to motivate."
The Dons scored only two points in the first seven-and-a-half minutes and, during that stretch, freshman guard Myron Strong threw a pass to an open referee on the perimeter. Strong returned to finish the game, but USF doomed itself with a slow second-half start (one field goal in the first six-and-a-half minutes.