College basketball coaching legend Eddie Sutton won his 800th career game Saturday with the San Francisco Dons’ 85-82 victory over the Pepperdine Waves Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. Sutton became only the fifth Division I coach to reach 800 career victories, joining Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp and Jim Phelan.
“I do not know how many more coaches will coach long enough to win 800 games,” said Sutton, who became the winningest active coach in career victories on Monday when Knight resigned. “It is different today. It is harder coaching than it once was. There are more demands and more expectations. The only thing that is better is they pay coaches a lot more these days.”
Sutton, 71, is in his 37th year as a Division I head coach. He started at Creighton, and moved to Arkansas, Kentucky and finally Oklahoma State, where he accumulated 368 of his victories. After San Francisco coach Jesse Evans left in December, Sutton took over the Dons’ program, needing only two victories to reach 800. In his career, Sutton has coached teams to the NCAA tournament 26 times and the Final Four three times. He was twice named national coach of the year by the Associated Press.
“Sutton is one of the coaching legends,” said Pepperdine interim head coach Eric Bridgeland. “When you think of the greatest coaches of all time, he is definitely one of them.”
San Francisco (6-15) had to make a big comeback to help Sutton reach the career milestone. Pepperdine (7-15) jumped out to a quick start, hitting seven of 15 three-point shots in the first half. By halftime, the Waves led 42-30. However, in the second half, the Dons battled back from a 19-point deficit. In the final minute, senior Danny Cavic hit a three pointer to clinch the victory for the Dons.
“That will be something [Cavic] can remember for the rest of his life because you do not have the opportunity to hit too many winning shots like he did,” Sutton said.
All seven players for the Waves scored in double figures, led by Tyrone Shelley, who had 16 points and seven rebounds, and Mychel Thompson, who had 11 points and nine rebounds. The Dons were led by Dior Lowhorn, who had 28 points and eight rebounds. Until Monday, Lowhorn had the rare distinction of playing under the two active coaches with the most career wins, having transferred from Knight’s Texas Tech team.
After the game, Sutton proudly autographed “800 victory” posters, but he was modest about the accomplishment.
“I think it probably meant more to my three sons and some of my grandchildren, because they are the ones who pushed me to a certain degree to come out here,” Sutton said. “You remember some of the wins, but I remember as many losses as I remember victories.”