| | WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Three years after he guided Army to a
school-record 10 wins and was touted for national coach of the
year, Bob Sutton lost the only job he ever wanted.
He was fired Monday, two days after a 19-9 loss to Navy. The
loss was only Sutton's third in nine years to the Middies, but it
left the Cadets at 3-8.
Athletics director Rick Greenspan said the decision to fire
Sutton was made hours later, and the coach was informed Sunday.
"He's been a class act and has had tremendous compassion for
the goals of the academy," he said. "But the last three years
have obviously been difficult because of our won-lost record
(10-23)."
"We have failed to make significant progress, whether it's
recruiting, game-calling, I don't know," Greenspan added. "But we
are in a profession where our expectations are to show progress."
Greenspan said the academy will buy out the final year of
Sutton's contract, and terms were not disclosed. The athletics
director said there was no timetable for hiring a new coach.
Sutton, who served as Army coach longer than anyone except the
famed Earl "Red" Blaik, leaves with a 44-55-1 record at West
Point. He became an assistant under former coach Jim Young in 1983
and was given his first college head coaching job in 1991 when
Young left.
"I understand college football, I understand the coaching
profession, I understand bottom-line philosophy," Sutton said. "I
was only interested in having the opportunity to finish what I
started and to finish what I was promised. I was probably too
idealistic because I felt the academy would not compromise one of
its principles and one of its real bedrock values."
Sutton said he told his players Monday morning at a team
meeting.
"It was hard for me to talk to them," Sutton said, his voice
cracking with emotion. "It's a big chunk of your life. It's
something that I love. They were very supportive and I appreciated
that. I hold them in the highest regard."
Despite his mediocre record at a school where football is king,
Sutton's teams accomplished exceptional things: The Black Knights
led the nation in rushing three times; finished in the national
rankings in 1996 for the first time in 11 years; reeled off 11
straight wins over two seasons, the longest victory streak at the
academy in five decades; earned just the fourth bowl bid in school
history; and defeated Navy five straight times, equaling the
longest winning streak in the storied series.
Perhaps what hurt Sutton the most was Army's miserable record in
close games and its dismal performance since ending its long
history as an independent and joining Conference USA.
In two years of conference play, Army is 3-9 and no longer has
the luxury of playing Division I-AA schools such as Colgate and
Lafayette.
"We recognize the schedule was upgraded," Greenspan said. "We
expect to compete in Conference USA. We didn't join not to be
competitive. We're committed to the league. A change is necessary
for us to get there."
Army won national championships in 1944 and 1945 behind the
great backfield of Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. While the school
has no designs on an NCAA title these days, excellence always is in
demand.
"In time, we should compete for our conference championship,"
Greenspan said. "That's why we're in a conference."
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