Alabama Basketball Community Mourns Loss Of Tommy Suitts

FAYETTE, AL — The University of Alabama, the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) and others in the college basketball community are mourning the death of former player and coach Tommy Suitts, who passed away last week.

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He was 74.

Suitts was instrumental in 2016 as Bevill State Community College resurrected its athletics programs, including basketball. During his time leading the Bears, Suitts was named 2019-2020 ACCC North Division Coach of the Year and saw numerous players move on to higher levels of college basketball.

During this final season, the Bevill State Bears advanced to the the semifinal round of the Alabama Community College Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.

Prior to his time in Fayette, Suitts served as an assistant at his alma mater and the University of North Alabama, before going on to become head coach at Rice University from 1981-1987, where he complied a 63-99 record. He would then secure a head coaching job at Chicago State in 1987, where he worked for three seasons and posted a 26-58 record.

On Monday, Bevill State Community College remembered back to his retirement in August 2020, when the coach said: “The growth and success that we have achieved has been largely due to the efforts of these men. Most of all, I want to thank the young men who chose to attend Bevill State and to become a part of our program. I am blessed to have known each of them ... I am not leaving Bevill for another job. I am leaving to become a full-time granddaddy to my five grandchildren."

A 1965 graduate of Coffee High School, Suitts — referred to by the ACCC as a "high school sharpshooter" — attended Marion Military Institute for two years, where he was named First Team All-Dixie Conference, Second Team All-Alabama Junior College, First Team NJCAA All-Region (Region VII), and NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American during his sophomore year.

Suitts graduated from MMI in 1967 as valedictorian while majoring in math.

His talents on the hardwood also earned the attention of legendary Alabama basketball coach C.M. Newton, who offered him a scholarship. He would go on to be named to the Southeastern Conference All-Academic Team as a senior, leading his team in field goal percentage. Suitts was also named the team's Best Defensive Player.

After graduating from UA in 1969, he would return as an assistant under Newton in 1974, before embarking on his long coaching career.

Suitts was a 2019 inductee into the ACCC Hall of Fame and a member of the 2013 class of the Lauderdale County Hall of Fame.

Funeral arrangements for the Alabama basketball legend have not been announced at this time.

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