FAYETTEVILLE -- Eddie Sutton has had his name on the court at Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena since 2005. Soon he'll also have his name in the rafters of Arkansas' Walton Arena.
Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long announced Tuesday that Sutton, 79, will be honored with a banner recognizing his time as the Razorbacks' coach during a halftime ceremony at the Arkansas-Missouri game Feb. 20.
Sutton, who had a 260-75 record in 11 seasons as Arkansas' coach from 1974-1985, will be the sixth former player or coach to have a banner raised in Walton Arena.
"I'm very glad this is happening for Coach Sutton," said Joe Kleine, an All-American center at Arkansas for Sutton. "He built the foundation for the program.
"Without him being there, I don't think a lot of things that came after that would have transpired. I think he laid the foundation for what we all enjoyed with Arkansas basketball in the 1970s, '80s, '90s and up to today."
Kleine and Darrell Walker were among Sutton's former Razorbacks who visited with him in Walton Arena on Thursday when Sutton returned to Fayetteville for the Arkansas-Kentucky game.
"When Coach was at the game, a lot of people recognized him and came over to talk," said Walker, an All-American guard. "You could tell it meant a lot to him. He was so happy to be there.
"I hope we get a sellout crowd for the Missouri game to honor the guy that really got the Arkansas program going. I'm calling as many players as I can to make sure we're all there."
Ron Brewer was an All-American guard for Arkansas and part of the famed "Triplets," along with Sidney Moncrief and Marvin Delph, who led the Razorbacks to the 1978 Final Four and a 32-4 record.
"Coach Sutton was such a big part of making Arkansas a successful program," Brewer said. "He got talented players, and then he got us to play within his style.
"He made a lot players, especially the in-state guys like myself, excited to go to Arkansas. I'm really excited he's going to be honored by Arkansas. It's well-deserved."
Long praised Sutton in a news release for putting Arkansas basketball on the map.
"Coach Sutton not only transformed our program, he introduced the game of college basketball to Arkansans across the state," Long said. "When he arrived, Barnhill Arena still had dirt floors under the bleachers. By the end of his tenure at Arkansas, Barnhill Arena boasted a Final Four banner and a rabid Razorback fan base making it one of the toughest places to play in the nation."
Kleine attended the Arkansas-Kentucky game, but he didn't know Sutton would be there until he got a text from Walker.
"It was great to be with Coach, because I hadn't seen him in about a year," Kleine said. "Sitting there with him, I can just imagine how he felt, knowing what Barnhill Arena looked like when he first got there and then seeing Bud Walton Arena now.
"He's got to know, 'I had a hand in helping do all this.' I know he's extremely proud of his time at Arkansas."
Sutton led Arkansas to NCAA Tournament appearances in his final nine seasons, starting in 1977. Before his arrival, the Razorbacks had last made the NCAA Tournament in 1958 with other appearances in 1941, 1945 and 1949. Barnhill Arena was expanded from 5,200 to 9,000 seats during his tenure.
"Coach touched so many lives along the way," Brewer said. "The rapport he's always had with his players is very special."
Nolan Richardson -- who succeeded Sutton as Arkansas' coach and led the Razorbacks to the 1994 national championship, a school-record 389 victories, 13 NCAA Tournaments and three Final Fours in 17 seasons -- was honored with a banner ceremony last season. Moncrief, former All-American forward Corliss Williamson, and former UA women's players Bettye Ficus and Delmonica DeHorney-Hawkins also have been honored.
Sutton had an 806-326 record with 25 NCAA Tournament appearances in 35 seasons at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and the University of San Francisco. He enjoyed his most sustained success at Oklahoma State, his alma mater, where he was 368-151 in 16 seasons, including two Final Four appearances.
"For the guys who played for Coach Sutton at Arkansas, we look at him as the Razorbacks' coach," Kleine said. "Not the Oklahoma State coach, not the Kentucky coach.
"We know he coached at those other places, but he'll always be a Razorback to us."
Sports on 01/27/2016