Jack L Sutter

Jack Sutter fell in love with the game of basketball as an eight-year-old playing on a dirt court in a small town in Southern Illinois. He was the first graduate of Galatia High School to make All-State and earn a basketball scholarship to play in college. He played for three years at Middle Tennessee State University and graduated in 1967. He taught in the public school system in Detroit, Mi., Salem, Il., and Brandon, Fl. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University before joining the basketball staff at Oral Roberts University in 1970. During a four-year tenure from 1970-74 ORU went from an NAIA school to a Division I program. ORU was ranked in the Top 20 and made trips to the NIT in 1972 and 1973. In 1974 they played in the NCAA Tournament and beat Syracuse and Louisville before losing to Kansas in the finals of the Elite Eight game 93-90 in overtime. From 1969 to 1974 ORU won 118 games and lost only 23. They led the nation in scoring three of those five years, averaging over 90 points. Sutter has coached for 22 years at the DI level, junior college, and high school level. He has played against and coached several players who have played in the NBA.