COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech basketball coach Mike Sutton
has missed the Golden Eagle road trip to Morehead State and Eastern
Kentucky due to illness. The ninth-year head coach was feeling ill
Wednesday and Thursday and decided to remain back in Cookeville to
recuperate.
Associate head coach Steve Payne is directing the team on the trip
to Kentucky.
"Coach Sutton has been valiant in his efforts to overcome GBS
(Guillian-Barre Syndrome)," said TTU Director of Athletics Mark
Wilson. "We hope his condition as outlined to us this morning is
not a setback to his health. Hopefully, over the next few days we
will get information from Mike and his healthcare providers that he
is okay. That is our primary concern.
"We have confidence in Steve Payne and the other assistant coaches
to provide leadership to the team," Wilson added.
Sutton, who was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder of
GBS six years ago, said a recent symptom flare-up has made him
concerned enough that he’s elected to stay home from
Kentucky.
“I’m really in limbo with all of this,’’
Sutton said. “I just really take things one day at a time and
deal with the next situation. Right now, I didn’t want to get
myself in a situation where I was four hours from home and have
something happen.’
“I don’t want to put myself or the kids in
jeopardy,’’ he said. “It’s hard enough on
them dealing with my condition and they’ve been so good. It
just wasn’t smart.’’