Doug Gottlieb, Rex Chapman Pen Emotional Letters to Eddie Sutton

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“You told us that life was hard,” former Oklahoma State point guard Doug Gottlieb wrote in an emotional letter to the late Eddie Sutton, “but if we could make it through your practices, we could achieve anything. You were right.”

Gottlieb, now a Fox Sports radio host and basketball analyst, was one of many who shared their feelings about Coach Sutton in the wake of his passing at 84 years old on Saturday. Others include Rex Chapman, who played for Sutton at Kentucky, Dick Vitale, Tim Brando, and many more.

“Coach, you imparted so much wisdom on us,” Gottlieb continued. “So many simple demands that made us more disciplined men and better teammates, all while giving us the most honest feedback on earth. Thank you.”

The first coach to take four programs to the NCAA Tournament (Creighton, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma State), Sutton piled up an 806-329 record between 1969-2008 and made three appearances in the Final Four. He will enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.

ESPN reporter Myron Medcalf also wrote a heartfelt note on Twitter, his pointing out an aspect of Sutton’s career that gets overlooked.

With an enormous weight on his shoulders, Sutton helped heel the city and school after one of their three planes crashed in 2001, killing all 10 people on board. Gottlieb also wrote a touching piece about the tragedy for ESPN.