Despite the accolades and goodwill Sutton accumulated during his 11 years in Fayetteville, rumors swirled for most of the 1985 season that he’d leave Arkansas. And on April 2, 1985, Sutton departed for the head coaching vacancy at Kentucky. Sutton tried to soften the news, telling the press Kentucky was “the only job I’d leave the University of Arkansas for.” But Sutton further incensed Hogs fans when he quipped he “would’ve crawled all the way to Lexington” for the job.