The Oklahoma State basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament just once in the last seven years, and now the OSU athletic department is searching for a replacement for departing coach Mike Boynton. The Cowboys lost in the second round during the COVID-affected 2020-2021 season and have their sights set on different destinations, namely a Final Four or national championship.
Now, an ESPN report is revealing the alleged focal point of the team's coaching search: Western Kentucky Head Coach Steve Lutz.
The team's search was previously highlighted by Steve Alford and Bryce Drew as possible candidates. A previous member of the OSU basketball team who played point guard also shared his top candidate for the job, and it won't be surprising to anyone who saw him play.
On Thursday, the Cowboys' hiring situation got more clarity as Lutz's name was mentioned in great detail heading down the homestretch of the OSU coaching search.
OSU Hones In On Former Coach's Replacement
Mike Boynton, also known as Michael Boynton, coached the Cowboys for seven years with just the one Tournament appearance to his credit. His teams finished over .500 five out of seven seasons, but Boynton's best conference record was just 11-7 during his time in Stillwater, OK.
Boynton's ultimate lack of championship-caliber success was enough to placate the Oklahoma State basketball administration for several years, but ultimately left fans and management alike wanting more. The Cowboys last made the NCAA Tournament under Coach Eddie Sutton in 2003-2004 during which Sutton's team finished with a 31-4 record.
Now, the tea leaves have pointed toward the current Western Kentucky boss Lutz as the Cowboys' new coach. Lutz led the Hilltoppers to a 22-12 record last season and a loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Lutz previously coached the Texas A&M Corpus-Christi Islanders and has a 69-35 career coaching record.
Lutz's Championship Pedigree
Lutz previously led the Islanders to their first NCAA Tournament since 2007. He steered the team to its first-ever Southland Conference tournament titles during both seasons with the team, along with a regular-season championship in 2023.
Lutz served as an assistant coach to current Purdue basketball head coach Matt Painter in West Lafayette, IN and also served seven seasons next to Greg McDermott on the bench at Creighton. He spent time with the SMU Mustangs among other teams. If hired, he could be just what the doctor ordered to get the Cowboys over the hump and back in the Final Four.
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