The Oklahoma State basketball program has been in the search for a new head coach since firing Mike Boynton after the season ended. Boynton had been with the Cowboys since 2017 but compiled a mediocre 119–109 record with just one trip to the NCAA Tournament. As such, candidates floated around as possible replacements for Boynton. Now, a couple of names have popped up for the Oklahoma State basketball coaching job, including Grand Canyon's Bryce Drew, Nevada's Steve Alford, and Colorado State's Niko Medved, per Adam Zagoria.
‘Source: Coaches in the mix for the Oklahoma State job: Niko Medved, Steve Alford and Bryce Drew The school fired Mike Boynton Jr. after seven seasons on March 14'
This comes on the heels of other reports stating that Alford expressed interest in the Oklahoma State job, so things could be coming to a close for this search. Doug Gottlieb, the former Oklahoma State star and current analyst, made his own pitch for the job, although that was always going to be a long shot.
A couple of weeks after the Cowboys moved on from Mike Boynton, they have some talented coaching in the mix for the job.
Examining Bryce Drew, Steve Alford, and Niko Medved as Oklahoma State basketball head coach candidates
The Oklahoma State basketball program is an interesting job for a number of reasons, but it is still a Power Five conference with a lot of pull given its history. The Cowboys have made the Big Dance 29 times in their history, and getting back to March Madness will be a primary focal point for the next coach. Here's a quick glance at all three of the coaches reportedly in the mix for the job.
Steve Alford: Let's start with Steve Alford, who is easily the biggest name in the fold. He had previous stints at each of Manchester, Southwest Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico, UCLA, and now Nevada. He has compiled an eye-popping 683–357 record during his time as a head coach, including 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament and another three in NCAA Division III.
Alford most notably brought UCLA to three Sweet 16 trips but has received criticism lately for some disappointing losses in March Madness, including early exits at each of Iowa, UCLA, and now Nevada after an unreal collapse against Dayton in this year's tournament. Still, Alford's resume is well-known and his name value could do well in Stillwater.
Bryce Drew: Bryce Drew is another high-profile name and he has stints at Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, and Grand Canyon. He just took the Lopes to back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips and three appearances in his four years, including a first-round upset win over Saint Mary's in this year's Big Dance before they fell to Alabama. Drew has a 258–140 overall record as head coach, and going from Grand Canyon to Oklahoma State would be quite the leap, although he was at a Power Five school before with Vanderbilt.
Niko Medved: Niko Medved, the current Colorado State head coach, might be the biggest sleeper on this list. He has an overall record of 196–162 as a head coach with stops at Furman and then one year at Drake before going to Colorado State. He has taken the Rams to two March Madness trips and an NIT fourth-place finish, including a First Four victory over Virginia this time around.
The 50-year-old might be the third-best option from this list of Oklahoma State basketball coaching candidates, but he wouldn't be a bad choice, either, given his recent rack record of success.
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