Oklahoma State basketball coach Eddie Sutton was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol Friday after tests showed his blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit following a car crash last week.
Sutton, who is on a medical leave of absence, also was charged by Payne County prosecutors with speeding and driving left of center. In the accident last Friday, Sutton's sports utility vehicle swerved across four lanes of traffic, slammed into the back of another car, then crashed into a tree.
The driver of the other vehicle, Teresa Barnard, sustained minor injuries and was released at the scene.
PHOTO: AP
Following the accident, tests showed Sutton had a blood alcohol content of .22, almost three times the legal limit in Oklahoma, according to an affidavit filed with the misdemeanor charge.
Sutton, 69, admits he has an alcohol problem and apologized earlier this week for the accident that has cast a cloud over the future of his 35-year coaching career.
He released a statement Friday apologizing once again.
"I made a serious mistake," he said. "I recognize it and I accept the consequences. In an attempt to get relief from the pain I was experiencing with my back and hip I made a poor choice and now I must address those consequences."
The aggravated DUI charge is punishable by up to one year in county jail and a US$2,500 fine, but Payne County District Attorney Rob Hudson said it's routine to offer probation to first-time offenders.
"When this is his or her first offense, it is normal and customary to recommend probation, drug and alcohol counseling, treatment and community service," Hudson said.
Sutton's attorney contacted Hudson and notified him that Sutton would enter a treatment facility as early as next week. Hudson said Sutton likely will be arraigned after he is released from treatment, which is customary in such cases.
"Mr. Sutton is not receiving any special or preferential treatment whatsoever," Hudson said. "This case will be handled in the same way we handle any other case with similar circumstances."
Sutton's driver's license was automatically suspended because he initially refused to submit to a blood test after being taken to a hospital following the crash, Hudson said.
The university released a statement Friday saying no decision has been made on Sutton's future at OSU.
"After a careful and thorough review of the police and DA reports, we will determine the appropriate approach we should take as it relates to an internal review," the statement said. "Coach Sutton has taken the right steps to address his problem. Once he has completed treatment, we will meet with him to discuss his future, but right now the most important thing is for him to get healthy."
Sutton coached at Creighton, Arkansas and Kentucky before taking over at his alma mater for the 1990-1991 season. He's fifth on the NCAA Division I career coaching wins list with 794. He trails only Dean Smith (879), Adolph Rupp (876), Bob Knight (867) and Jim Phelan (830).
When he became the coach at OSU in 1990, he openly spoke of his struggle with alcoholism.
Within minutes of Mike Davis's resignation, Steve Alford was a reluctant and tightlipped front-runner for the Indiana basketball coaching job.
The Iowa coach was Indiana's Mr. Basketball, a two-time All-American under Bob Knight and led the Hoosiers to the 1987 NCAA championship. Fans booed Indiana Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh when he passed on Alford in the NBA draft -- and instead picked Reggie Miller.
Even Davis, who coached Indiana for six years but still remained in Knight's shadow, speculated the Hoosiers would be better served by one of their own.
There's just one problem.
No matter how popular he remains in his home state, Alford is still the Iowa coach, at least through the end of the season. He refuses to comment publicly about the Indiana job or his status with the 18th-ranked and Big Ten-leading Hawkeyes.
"I have this comment: My entire focus and energy is helping my team win a Big Ten championship and get ready for the NCAA tournament," he said during an Iowa teleconference Friday. "This is my only concern. And you can underline entire and only."
Each time the question was broached, albeit in different forms, Alford repeated the mantra, "My entire focus ..."
Finally, when asked whether the questioning about Indiana was inappropriate or unfair, he groaned, "You really don't want me to repeat the thing again, do you? I've had to repeat it seven times."
But Alford will likely have to repeat it many more times before the end of the season, which still has four more games before the Big Ten tournament and then the NCAA. Especially since Indiana athletics director Rick Greenspan said he wouldn't select a new coach until after the Final Four.
That leaves a lot of time for speculation, and Alford is consistently among the first names mentioned, along with Ohio State coach Thad Matta, a former coach at Butler, and even Rick Majerus, a former coach at Utah and Ball State.
"There's a lot of talk that he does have a lot of influential alumni behind him, I think, because his name has come up twice before -- when Knight was fired and a little bit last year," said Mike Pegram of the Inside Indiana fan magazine and peegs.com.
"A lot of people have come in contact with the Alford family through the years that are also Indiana alums. So there's always going to be some alumni support for Steve."
Pegram's Web site on Friday listed six names for visitors to vote on their preference for Indiana's next coach. With more than 800 votes cast, Matta was first with 35 percent, followed by Alford at 21 percent.
Golden State Warriors and former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, Majerus and Marquette's Tom Crean were all far behind.
Back home, Alford's return would be welcomed.
"I'm sure he would be a popular choice," said Mike Bergerum, the athletics director at New Castle High School where Alford played. "That's the only thing you hear on the news. ... [But] I'm not going to speculate on anything. Obviously, he's popular."
Alford's popularity actually might work against Indiana hiring him. If he fizzles -- his winning percentage at Iowa (.593) is only slightly better than Davis's at Indiana (.589) -- it might be difficult to fire him.
On the other hand, his longtime Indiana connection might make fans and the school more patient.
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