Mike Gundy on Eddie Sutton’s Hall of Fame Snub: ‘A Buncha Bull****’

STILLWATER — Eddie Sutton’s supporters span more than just the basketball world.

News came out Tuesday that Sutton, a legendary OSU basketball coach, didn’t receive the votes necessary to gain entry to the Naismith Hall of Fame after being a finalist for the sixth time. OSU football coach Mike Gundy was asked what he thought about Sutton’s most recent denial Wednesday, and Gundy wasn’t stoked about it.

Gundy started off with the Hall of Fame’s anonymous voting system. Many people frustrated with Sutton not being allowed in don’t quite know where to put that frustration because the 24-person committee is anonymous. To gain entry, finalists need at least 18 of 24 votes.

“We need to know who voted,” Gundy said. “We’re trying to get the Mueller Report. We got a subpoena to get that. Why don’t we know who the 24 people are that voted?”

Gundy went on to say he doesn’t know much about the Naismith Hall of Fame, but he found it perplexing that a coach with more than 800 victories would be denied entry.

“I think it’s a really sad deal,” Gundy said. “Somebody said because they had a probation at Kentucky or something, well there’s people in there that are on probation too, right? So I’m not buying that. I’m pretty partial to their family. I’m partial to the Suttons. I don’t understand it.

“I’m not gonna go way out there because I’d get myself in trouble, but honestly, I think it’s a buncha bull**** to be honest with you. That’s just my personal opinion.”

Gundy went on to agree with the statement the Sutton family put out Tuesday, that Eddie doesn’t need the Naismith Hall of Fame to tell him what he meant to basketball.

“He doesn’t need to be in the Hall of Fame,” Gundy said. “Whatever’s the reasoning, he’s got his legacy. He’s changed lives of young people and people around him, so whatever he needed to accomplish to get in it, then I’d like to see what the criteria is.”