Bill Clinton on Eddie Sutton: Late Oklahoma State and Arkansas coach was more than 'a basketball genius'

How much of an impact did Eddie Sutton have on people he came across on his 84 years on this planet?

Everyone from hall of fame coaches to former heads of state have stopped to pay tribute to the Oklahoma State legend, who died Saturday in Tulsa.

Former president Bill Clinton, the former Arkansas governor who befriended Sutton in his days as Razorbacks coach, joined the long list Sunday night first with a tweet and then an official statement.

"I'll always remember Eddie Sutton as a good man, who cared about his players, got the best out of them and prepared them well for life after basketball," Clinton tweeted. "And I will always love him for being a ferocious, loyal friend."

On the Clinton Foundation's website, the former president wrote: "Most people knew Eddie Sutton as a basketball genius who won more than 800 games, made the Hall of Fame, and was the first coach to take four different schools to the NCAA tournament, including nine of his eleven Arkansas teams, earning him a special place in the hearts of all Arkansans.

"I'll always remember him as a good man, who cared about his players, got the best out of them and prepared them well for life after basketball. And I will always love him for being a ferocious, loyal friend. Our hearts go out to his three sons and their families, and all those whose lives he touched."

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