Bio

Michael Sutton ’76 took over as the Interim Director of Athletics and Physical Education for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on July 11, 2018. Over the last two years, Sutton has served as the Director of Advancement for Athletics at Claremont McKenna College where he oversaw athletic-related fundraising along with alumni and parent engagement. He will continue in that role as well while serving as the interim athletic director.

The athletic director role is familiar one for Sutton who served 15 seasons as Director of Athletics and Physical Education at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, after a 21 year coaching career in the department. During his tenure as director of athletics, Sutton has overseen a department that has grown to 21 sports -10 men’s, 11 women’s- at the NCAA Division III level in addition to 13 club sports, an intramurals program and physical education department. Sutton has overseen the addition of women’s lacrosse and women’s golf to the varsity level.

Sutton was the fourth individual to hold the title of director of athletics at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Over his first 15 years as AD, CMS teams have won over 100 SCIAC titles in 17 of the 21 sports, a SCIAC-best 17 tournament titles and captured 11 overall SCIAC All-Sports trophies. The success of CMS Athletics across the board saw the program earn six top-25 finishes under Sutton in the NCAA Division III Director’s Cup standings, including a program-best tie for 10th place finish in 2015-16. CMS won two NCAA Division III team national championships (men’s tennis – 2015 and men’s golf – 2016) under Sutton’s guidance.

Prior to becoming director of athletics at CMS, Sutton coached for 21 years. He spent 21 seasons as the Stags’ swimming coach (1979-2000) and 19 seasons as the men’s water polo coach and won a combined 33 SCIAC titles.  As head swimming coach, Sutton coached the Stags to a 143-52 overall record, 101-4 in SCIAC meets. A total of 22 individual swimmers were crowned as NCAA national champions under his leadership. In addition, his teams had six second place finishes at the NCAA level. In 1983, Sutton was chosen as the NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year. He also coached the women’s swim team for a season (1999-2000). In his 19 years (1979-1997) as water polo coach, Sutton’s teams won 15 SCIAC titles and three Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) titles as he posted a 384-206-1 overall record, 178-12 in SCIAC matches.

Sutton is a former member of the NCAA Swimming & Diving Rules Committee and the NCAA Water Polo Committee and was the team leader of the 1992 United States Olympic Water Polo Team. He is a 1976 graduate of Claremont McKenna College.