STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former Oklahoma State basketball coach
Eddie Sutton was released from a Stillwater hospital Friday after a
response to a medication led paramedics to take him by ambulance to
the emergency room.
The 70-year-old Sutton, who ranks fifth in career wins among
Division I men's coaches, was released early Friday afternoon, said
Shyla Eggers, director of public affairs at Stillwater Medical
Center.
A smiling Sutton appeared fit Friday night when he attended
Oklahoma State's first exhibition game of the season, an 84-67 win
over Pittsburg State.
New head coach Sean Sutton, Eddie Sutton's son, said he was
happy to see his dad at the game.
"He is feeling a lot better and doing well," Sean Sutton said.
"I spoke to the doctor that was caring for him and he said that he
felt that my dad had an allergic reaction to some medicine that he
had started taking last night. He was in the hospital for a couple
hours and then they released him."
Eddie Sutton had been "largely unresponsive" but able to
communicate verbally with police officers and paramedics after they
responded to a 911 call from a Stillwater convenience store around
9:34 a.m. Friday, Stillwater Police Capt. Randy Dickerson said.
"The ER physician stated that Mr. Sutton is not under the
influence of alcohol; however a possible reaction to new medication
prescribed by his physician may be the cause of this incident,"
the hospital said in a statement released by Eggers.
Sutton told The Oklahoman the new medication was for neck pain.
"I feel better now than I have in three or four years
physically and emotionally," Sutton told the newspaper.
Sutton retired in May after compiling 798 wins in 36 years as a
college coach at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State,
his alma mater. His retirement came about three months after a
drunken driving accident caused him to miss the Cowboys' final 10
games last season.
After his retirement, Sutton had begun working with a new
alcohol education and support program at Oklahoma State. His first
appearance was a speech to about 1,500 students at a fraternity
house in September.
Sutton reached the Final Four with Arkansas in 1978 and with
Oklahoma State in 1995 and 2004.