TULSA, Okla. – The University of San Francisco mourns the passing of Hall of Fame head coach Eddie Sutton, who passed away Saturday evening at his home.
 
Sutton, a four-time National Coach of the Year, was one of nine honorees to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in April.  He will be inducted posthumously, along with legend Kobe Bryant, on August 29.
 
"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Sutton," said Director of Athletics Joan McDermott. "His legendary resume speaks for itself, but his real contributions will be the numerous lives he changed throughout his coaching career.  Though his time at USF was brief, he is a part or our storied history, and we wish his family the best."
 
Coach Sutton came to the Hilltop on December 26, 2007 after announcing he was coming out of retirement to coach the Dons on an interim basis.  His first game as coach of the Dons came on December 28 – a 62-54 loss at the hands of Weber State on the road.
 
Sutton earned his first win for USF on January 19, 2008, a 60-59 road win over Portland at the Chiles Center. It was win No. 799 for Sutton. He earned his 800^th career victory on February 2, 2008 following an 85-82 win over Pepperdine at Firestone Fieldhouse.  With the win, Sutton became one of just five coaches in NCAA history to win 800 games.
 
Sutton finished his year on the Hilltop with a 6-13 record. It ended with the Dons winning four of their last six – highlighted by three straight from March 1-7, which included a 79-60 over Loyola Marymount in the opening round of the WCC Tournament.
 
During his time at USF, Sutton was asked many times why he chose to come out of retirement – was he looking for a place to win the two games he needed for 800? Sutton responded that he simply missed coaching: "What I missed about coaching was the fellowship with the coaches, bringing along a team. I have enjoyed watching the players mature, grow and get better."
 
Sutton finished his coaching career with an overall record of 806-326 (.712). He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, and is the fifth person with ties to USF to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, joining Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, and coaches Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert.
 
Sutton is survived by his three sons: Sean, Scott, and Steve and their families.  His wife of 54 years, Patsy, passed away in 2013.