Michael Sutton is in his 12th season as Director of Athletics 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 and an intramurals program. Sutton has overseen the addition of women’s lacrosse and women’s golf to the varsity level. Approximately one in six students at Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College and Scripps College participate in intercollegiate athletics at CMS.

Sutton is the fourth individual to hold the title of director of athletics at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Over his 11 years, CMS teams have won 78 SCIAC titles in 16 of the 21 sports, a SCIAC-best 11 tournament titles and captured eight overall SCIAC All-Sports trophies. The success of CMS Athletics across the board has seen the program earn four top-25 finishes under Sutton in the NCAA Division III Director’s Cup standings, including a program-best 14th place finish in 2011-12.

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.