 Sutton spent eight years as an assistant coach at Army before being named the head coach in 1991.His nine-year tenure as the head football coach at Army (1991 to 1999) is second in length only to Earl "Red" Blaik.Sutton compiled a record of 44–55–1 and guided the 1996 Army squad to a 10–2 record, an appearance in the Independence Bowl, and a top 25 finish in both major polls.