The Daily O’Collegian

Cowboy coach Sean Sutton played a major role in raising the level of expectations of Oklahoma State basketball.

On Tuesday, he became a victim of those high expectations, Athletic Director Mike Holder said as OSU reached an agreement with Sutton for him to resign from the program after two years as coach.

“We had a long conversation [Monday],” Holder said. “At the end of the day, we mutually agreed that it was best that we change leadership of our program and go our different ways.

“I take no joy in this. I just felt like that our prospects were better to make a change. Even though he wanted to be the coach, he agreed with me.”

Sutton went 39-29, 13-19 in the Big 12, during his two seasons as head coach, missing the NCAA Tournament and losing in the first round of the NIT both years.

Before becoming coach, he was a player and assistant coach under his father and predecessor, Eddie Sutton, for 15 years.

“He was put in a tough situation,” Holder said. “It’s hard enough to follow a legend, but when that legend is your father, that’s probably tough to the third power. Perhaps in a different set of circumstances, he would have enjoyed more success.”

Holder declined to comment on the buyout for the remaining three years of Sutton’s contract of five years, $750,000 per year.

The news comes two weeks after OSU’s season ended in the first round of the NIT at Southern Illinois on March 18. Holder said the delay was because he wanted to be thorough in making the decision.

“You had to wait until the season’s over, see the whole body of work, then evaluate where we were, what the future looked like and then get a lot of people on board,” he said. “That’s not going to happen over night.”

Freshman forward Marshall Moses learned of Sutton’s resignation at a team meeting Tuesday and was taken aback by the news.

“I am surprised,” Moses said. “Coach Sean is a great person and a great coach, but sometimes in life, decisions have to be made that you’ve got no control over. I don’t know the reasons that led to him resigning, and I’m not going to ask him; he’s a man I respect too much.”

Holder said those reasons have nothing to do with rumors that he didn’t like Sutton on a personal level.

“We both came to the realization that it wasn’t working,” Holder said. “Whether it’s right or wrong, we have high expectations for our basketball program. Three straight trips to the NIT and losses in the first round — we really feel like we want to be in the NCAA Tournament. We felt like we could do better.”

Holder said empty seats in Gallagher-Iba Arena did play a role in the decision. The Cowboys did not sell out a game this season.

“You’re troubled by that,” Holder said. “But there were a lot of empty seats before Eddie Sutton showed up back at Stillwater.”

Holder praised Eddie Sutton for returning OSU to national prominence but said he had not talked to Eddie, who won 368 of his 804 career victories at Oklahoma State.

“At the end of the day, Sean’s got to stand on his own two feet on this one,” Holder said. “He knew what the expectations were when he took this job, and I think he embraced those. Like all of us, he thought he was going to be successful. My preference would have been for Sean Sutton to be coach here as long as I’m AD and beyond, but it is what it is.”

Oklahoma State went 17-16 this year, starting conference play 1-6. The Cowboys rallied to move to 7-7 in the Big 12, including a victory against No. 4 Kansas, but were swept by Oklahoma and finished the year on a four-game losing streak.

In Sutton’s first season as coach, the team started 15-1 and was ranked as high as No. 9, but OSU struggled down the stretch and finished 22-13.

Moses said the coach will be missed.

“We feel bad `cause we all love Coach Sean and love playing for him, but at the same time, you’ve gotta stay strong and keep working.” Moses said. “Whatever goes from here, we stick together.”

Moses said the players didn’t discuss the situation much after the meeting Tuesday.

“Everybody was trying to go their separate ways and call their family,” he said. “Nobody was really in the talking mood.”