Army Fires Football Coach

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.

Athletic 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 athletic 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.

Sutton was told of the decision Sunday.

"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 39 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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