At 71, coaching is the one thing that keeps Sutton going

Then Wednesday, when word started circulating that inexplicably, stunningly, Sutton would resurrect his legendary career by coaching the University of San Francisco, I had one thought.

Good for him.

The 71-year-old legend says he's coming back to reach 800 Division I wins, a goal he set for himself and a goal he fell shy of by two victories. Maybe so. Seems a little shallow to gratuitously chase a milestone. That's why I think there's more to it.

I think Sutton still wants to coach. That fire still burns in him. A few weeks ago, Sutton watched an Oklahoma State practice and couldn't contain himself. He interrupted with one of his patented pronouncements, telling the current Cowboys how the game should be played.

"He still has a lot of competitive fire in him,” Sean Sutton, his son and OSU successor, said Wednesday. "Being away from the game, he still wants to coach and still has that desire to get out there on the court.”

Make no mistake. Eddie Sutton is excited.

He returned my call Wednesday evening, about 30 minutes before his San Francisco teleconference, and sounded more stoked than he had in any of our conversations since his reluctant retirement in May 2006.

He told old stories, which always was a sign of life for Sutton, about hitchhiking to Kansas City to see that great Bill Russell San Francisco team play in the 1955 NCAA Tournament, plunking down five bucks and walking right in to Municipal Auditorium.

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