Oklahoma State’s Eddie Sutton named 2020 finalist for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and former Oklahoma State men’s basketball coach Eddie Sutton being named a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sutton, who turns 84 on March 13, was named a finalist for the seventh time Friday during the NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago.

Sutton won 806 games with three Final Four appearances and NCAA tournament appearances with Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and OSU. He won two regular season (1992 and 1995) and one tournament championship (1995) in the Big Eight, and one regular season (2004) and two tournament titles (2004 and 2005) in the Big 12.

Under his tutelage, the Cowboys reached the postseason 14 times in 17 seasons, including 13 NCAA tournament bids and two Final Four appearances.

Sutton was the Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1978 and 1986, the 1993 Big Eight Coach of the Year and a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2004. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

The inductees will be unveiled April 4 during the NCAA tournament’s Final Four weekend in Atlanta.