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.’’