Sean Sutton Discusses Drug Abuse, Future in Basketball

Originally Published: Aug 12, 2010 4:37 PM CDT

Stephany Speck
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

STILLWATER, Oklahoma -- Former Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton spoke openly Friday about his arrest, drug addiction and rehabilitation process. A judge ruled his three year sentence be deferred and the former men's coach will have to pay $2,850 in fines along with 100 hours of community service.

-Learn More About Sutton's Sentencing

It was the first time the former men’s basketball coach talked about the four felonies he was charged with and the devastating impact it has had on his family.

Sutton was arrested in February after attempting to fraudulently obtain shipments of Adderall and Clonazepam.

He said his ultimate low point was when he saw the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs officials pull up behind his car. He was later arrested for attempting to possess controlled dangerous substances and pleaded guilty for the offense.

Sutton admitted to the officials that he was battling an addiction to pain killers, which he was first prescribed for lower back pains and migraines.

“At some point in the last year and a half, I crossed the line and became addicted,” Sutton said.

He checked into the Cirque Lodge February 18, spending 115 days under the close supervision of doctors and therapists. Sutton thanked his family several times throughout his address for their visits and support during his stay.

“When I walked through the doors, I was a broken man. My spirit was crushed,” Sutton said. “It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

-Read Sean Sutton's Full Statement to the Public

While the stay to Cirque was Sutton’s second stint in rehab, he sounded confident that this time was different. He said he had chosen for the first time to fully surrender himself to the rehabilitation process after hitting his low.

“Sometimes it takes more than one time to get it right,” Sutton said.

Sutton will be on the state-wide Sports Blitz August 15 to talk about his progress in rehab and his future in basketball.

Gary Fisher, Director of Operations of the Cirque Lodge, spoke highly of the Oklahoma State grad.

"He became a leader to those in the facility," Fisher said.

Fisher went on to praise Sutton for his work while at Cirque, claiming the former coach worked harder than any of the thousands of clients he witnessed stay at his clinic. He also noted that Sutton traveled to schools, investing in the youth and warning of the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"He was open and honest with the kids, connecting with them on a very personal level," Fisher said. "Never had we had a speaker as effective as Sean."

-Read the Statements of Support from Sean Sutton's Friends and Fellow Coaches

He and his wife, Trena Sutton, have since dedicated themselves to spreading the word about the prescription drug abuse problem across the country.

“This is a huge epidemic,” Sean Sutton said. “If I can make a difference in a young man’s life or a young woman’s life, I want to be there for them.”

The Cowboys’ former coach also spoke honestly about his love for basketball and whether he intends on returning to the game he learned at the age of five.

“I love basketball and I always have,” Sean Sutton said. “I will go back to coaching and because of the experience I’ve had, I will be a much better coach.”

Sean Sutton, son of former OSU basketball coach Eddie Sutton, said he is looking forward to his future, but also careful not to take for granted what he’s learning from the last year of his life.

Burn Hargis, President of Oklahoma State University, offered his words of encouragement to the former Pokes coach.

“We commend Sean on the steps he is taking to move forward," President Hargis said. "All of us at OSU wish him and his family all the best.”

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