Former Wildcats, sports figures pay their respects to Eddie Sutton

It's a sad day in the sports world, and the basketball community continues to pay its respects to the late Eddie Sutton. The Hall of Fame coach died Saturday evening at the age of 84. Although his four seasons at Kentucky were far from perfect, he left a lasting impression on his former players and other important figures from across the basketball community. Today, those figures are remembering the life and legacy of Coach Sutton. WKYT sports reporter Alex Walker dug up this video from the station's archives, showing Rob Bromley's introductory conversation with Sutton after he was named Kentucky basketball's head coach. Coach Sutton was thrilled to get the call. "I was so thrilled when the president [Otis A. Singletary] and [Athletic Director] Cliff [Hagan] called me yesterday. They interviewed me, and then they called me back about two hours later," Sutton recalled. "Dr. Singletary said we'd like for you to be our basketball coach. And I said I would crawl all the way from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Lexington to be your coach. This is the best coaching job, in my opinion, in the country." https://twitter.com/AlexWalkerTV/status/1264422826393702401 Later in his career, he took his team to country music star Waylon Jennings's Nashville home before UK's matchup against Vanderbilt. Waylon's young son had become a big Kentucky fan, so Sutton and the team enjoyed a meal with the family during their stay in Music City in 1988. Throughout his time in the Bluegrass, Sutton also hosted a TV show with WKYT's Rob Bromley titled the "Eddie Sutton Show." Here's an episode from 1987, where the duo discusses the Cats' recent performances, including the UK Invitational Tournament win. Several former Wildcats posted tributes to their head coach on Twitter. https://twitter.com/HardenRoger/status/1264454056560537600 https://twitter.com/Reghanson/status/1264397677321760770 https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/1264407506740064256 https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1264396548785438727 Other UK figures also reacted to the news on social media, including current head coach John Calipari. https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1264543023188324353 https://twitter.com/wildcatnews/status/1264391853618671616 Several national voices also commented on Sutton's life and legacy. Current ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes played under Coach Sutton at the University of Arkansas before ultimately joining his staff as an assistant coach at Kentucky from 1987-89. https://twitter.com/CoachJimmyDykes/status/1264528693151649797 https://twitter.com/GaryParrishCBS/status/1264406047118315522 https://twitter.com/sportsiren/status/1264398735783546880 https://twitter.com/JayBilas/status/1264533588516749312 May he rest in peace.