Jan. 16, 2008

I want to give you an update on the men's basketball program at USF, and answer some frequently asked questions.

As you know, Head Coach Jessie Evans was granted a leave of absence on December 26 for the remainder of the season.

In Coach Evan's absence, we are fortunate that basketball legend Eddie Sutton has agreed to serve as our interim head coach for the remainder of this season. Coach Sutton was the first coach to take four different schools to the NCAA tournament, and has the rare distinction of taking two schools (Arkansas and Oklahoma State) to the Final Four. Coach Sutton loves basketball, and is one of the all-time great teachers of the game. We are fortunate to have someone with his skill and experience working with our program.

The media have made much about Coach Sutton's quest for 800 career wins, which would put him into an elite group of only a handful of NCAA coaches who have reached that milestone. Coach Sutton hopes to break that record with the USF Dons, and we will celebrate that tremendous achievement with him, one that puts both him and USF in the national spotlight.

It is unfair, however, to say that Coach Sutton took the job at USF only because he wants to break that record. In fact, Coach Sutton turned down a job at a Division 1 school last summer, where he could have broken the record. Coach Sutton stepped in at the last minute, to help our program in a time of need. He loves the game, missed coaching, and has a personal appreciation for Jesuit education, having coached at Creighton for five years.

I am disappointed at the negative comments made about Coach Sutton's struggle with alcoholism. He has been honest and public about his problem, and I respect his work starting an addiction center at Oklahoma State University, one that will save lives and help others who also struggle with addiction. USF is proud to have him as he showcases his remarkable talents working with our student-athletes.

Many of you heard Coach Sutton's comments about the team's level of talent, and his statement that our players are among the least talented he has worked with. It made for a great TV sound bite. What you didn't hear is everything else Coach Sutton said in that news conference. He explained that he wasn't surprised that the talent here was less than he was used to, because he had worked with some of the most talented players in the nation. He then praised the USF team, calling them "great kids," "good college players" and a team with "a lot of courage and a lot of heart." He has also said that we are only two or three good recruits away from our talent being competitive in the WCC.

The team's response to Coach Sutton has been overwhelmingly positive. The coach is challenging the team with twice-a-day workouts. The team's morale is high, and there is a strong sense of optimism. I invite you to come to our practices, and our games, and see for yourselves their tremendous progress and pride. After this season, Coach Sutton will return to Oklahoma to be with his wife and family, and help raise funds for his addiction center. He will leave USF giving us a fresh and valuable perspective, and he is outlining steps he feels can be take to improve our program.

There have been questions about the timing of Coach Sutton's hire. I offered Coach Sutton a job only after Coach Evans requested a leave of absence. Coach Sutton accepted our offer on the phone, and coached his first game without first visiting the USF campus. He didn't sign a contract until he first came to campus the following week.

Coach Sutton and I had spoken before. I could see there were ongoing challenges with Men's Basketball, and I had several conversations with prominent coaches who could help me evaluate our program. During these conversations, Coach Sutton indicated that he would be willing to help USF in any way possible. He was my first choice when I needed to quickly find a qualified coach.

Obviously, recruiting remains a challenge for us. Virtually all Division I programs sign recruits during the early Letter of Intent signing dates, which ran from November 14-21, 2007. Unfortunately, USF did not sign a single recruit during that period. We will work diligently over the spring and summer to sign recruits during the post-season signing period. Our assistant coaches are continuing their normal recruitment activities, and Coach Sutton has agreed to talk with and even meet with potential recruits while he is our interim head coach.

A complete program review is underway, and decisions about the future of the program will be made at the end of the season. I appreciate your support of USF, as we take a hard look at our men's basketball program, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and build a team of which we can all be proud.

Go Dons!

Sincerely,

Debi Gore-Mann