The 2023-24 college basketball season is coming to a close, which means that the transfer portal and coaching movement is soon to follow. Oklahoma State basketball decided to get a head start in the head coaching carousel on Friday by announcing that head coach Mike Boynton would not be retained.
Boynton has been the head man in charge of the Cowboys' basketball program for seven seasons. He led the Pokes to some success during his tenure, but not enough success for what that program is accustomed to seeing. That is life in the Big 12, which is only expanding to include another basketball powerhouse in the University of Arizona.
It isn't as if Boynton lost frequently during his tenure as Oklahoma State basketball's head coach. He finished with a career 119-109 record in Stillwater, but was 51-75 in conference play. The Cowboys also made the NCAA tournament just once in his seven seasons in charge. They were able to win a tournament game in that appearance, but one tournament win in seven seasons is not going to cut it at a program like Oklahoma State.
Danny Sprinkle, Utah State
Danny Sprinkle is a rapid riser in the coaching ranks who the folks in Logan, Utah don't want to see leave any time soon. Sprinkle played his college ball at Montana State University and was eventually named as the head coach at his alma mater back in 2019.
Sprinkle's coaching career got off to a bumpy start at first. He went 16-15 in his first season at Montana State and 13-10 in his second. But things took off in the 2021-22 season. Montana State more than doubled their win total from the previous season as they went 27-8 and made the NCAA Tournament.
They lost handily to Texas Tech that season, but that was the first tournament appearance the Bobcats made since 1996. He led Montana State to the big dance again last season, but they fell to Kansas State by a final score of 77-65.
Sprinkle has kept that momentum going at Utah State. After rebuilding the Aggies' roster through the transfer portal, Utah State finds themselves with a 25-7 record. They won the Mountain West regular season and seem likely make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large. He deserves a ton of credit for what he has accomplished this season.
Making another move after one season in a new gig may end up being too much for Sprinkle and his family. He has a very good thing going at Utah State right now. But Oklahoma State should absolutely make the call at minimum and see if they can poach him over to Stillwater.
Dusty May, Florida Atlantic
Dusty May and his credentials speak for itself. The world saw him take tiny Florida Atlantic from Conference USA all the way to the Final Four a year ago. While things haven't always gone smoothly for FAU in their transition to the American Athletic Conference, they are once again 24-7 and a lock to make the Tournament again.
May is more than ready to take the mantle of head coach at a power conference. The question is whether or not Oklahoma State is the right one. The Cowboys have a rich basketball tradition and are part of the best basketball conference in the country. It's a very competitive conference, but a competitive team will find themselves in the tournament every year.
May can elevate the Cowboys back to the top of that conference. He'd be an absolute home run hire. He will be the priority of every program that gets rid of their previous head coach, and he should be Oklahoma State's as well.
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