Bob Sutton
| Position: | Defensive Coordinator |
| Jets Seasons: | 9 |
| NFL Coaching seasons: | 9 |
| Age: | 57 |
Sutton fielded three new full-time starting LBs in 2004 (Eric Barton, Victor Hobson and Jonathan Vilma) who combined for 297 tackles, 4.5 sacks, nine PD and five interceptions. His group helped the Jets’ defense finish fourth in the NFL in points allowed with 261 and fifth vs. the run holding, opponents to 97.9 yards per game. With his tutelage, Vilma became only the third Jet to be voted AP's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after finishing the season with 118 tackles, two sacks, three QB pressures, four PD, one FF, one FR and three INT.
In 2003, Sutton’s group finished with 465 tackles, four sacks, and 15 PD, helping to hold opponents to 18.7 points per game, eighth in the NFL. In 2002, the Jets’ defensive turnaround came during the team’s final 10 regular-season games, during which the defense gave up an average of 91.8 rushing yards despite facing some of the NFL’s best backs in Ricky Williams, Clinton Portis, Ahman Green, Charlie Garner, LaDainian Tomlinson and Travis Henry. In the 41-0 wild-card playoff victory over Indianapolis, Sutton’s linebackers contributed 15 tackles and one INT to help the Jets achieve the second-most-lopsided shutout in NFL postseason history.
In 2001, the Jets were the only NFL team to place three LBs in the top 25 in tackles. His group was responsible for 383 total tackles, five sacks, six INTs, 16 PDs, seven FFs, three FRs and one TD. In his first year with the Jets in 2000, Sutton oversaw a 3-4 defense that was led consistently by play from Marvin Jones’ team-high 135 tackles and Mo Lewis' team-high 10 sacks, which helped earn Lewis his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. The coach also had a major hand in the development of rookie DE/LB John Abraham, who had 4.5 sacks through six games before being lost to injury.
Prior to joining the Jets, Sutton spent nine years as the head coach at Army (1991-99) and achieved remarkable success, including guiding the Cadets to just their fourth bowl appearance in school history. His nine seasons placed him second in tenure among all West Point head coaches, trailing legendary Earl "Red" Blaik, who guided the Cadets for 18 seasons. Sutton finished his Army career with a record of 44-54-1 that included five consecutive wins over Navy from 1992-96 to become the first Army coach to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for that long a span. Before becoming the head coach, he was at West Point from 1983-91 as defensive coordinator and helped the Cadets to three bowl games.
In 1982 Sutton served as RBs coach at North Carolina State under Monte Kiffin. He had a pair of turns at Western Michigan under Elliott Uzelac (1975-76 and 1980-81), serving first as defensive coordinator and later as offensive coordinator. He was defensive coordinator and LBs coach at Illinois (1977-79) under Gary Moeller. In 1974 he was the LBs coach at Syracuse for Frank Maloney. In 1972-73 he had his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at Michigan for Bo Schembechler.
Sutton was born Jan. 28, 1951, in Ypsilanti, MI. He earned his physical education degree from Eastern Michigan. He and his wife, Debbie, have a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Sarah.
