Oklahoma State is negotiating a deal with Western Kentucky head coach Steve Lutz to fill the same position in Stillwater, per Jeff Goodman. The Cowboys fired head coach Mike Boynton shortly after the conclusion of the season.
Lutz coached just one season at Western Kentucky, taking the job leading the Hilltoppers after two seasons coaching Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Lutz guided the Hilltoppers to a 22-12 record and an appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
He also took Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to the NCAA Tournament both years in charge there.
Lutz emerged as the prime candidate for the opening at Oklahoma State on March 28.
Prior to his time as a head coach, Lutz was a long-time assistant coach, making stops at SMU, Creighton and Purdue, among other stops.
Oklahoma State moved on from Boynton after 7 seasons
Boynton had just completed his seventh season with the program, leading the team to a disappointing 12-20 overall record and a 4-14 regular season record in conference play that tied for worst in the Big 12. With the Cowboys being eliminated from the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday to conference newcomer UCF in a 77-62 loss.
All-together Boynton had a 119–109 record as Oklahoma State’s head man, highlighted by an NCAA Tournament appearance as a No. 4 seed in 2021 and two NIT quarterfinal appearances.
The 42-year-old Brooklyn, New York native worked his way up in the coaching ranks following an impressive playing career. Playing four seasons of college basketball at South Carolina where he ended his career finishing in the top ten in three-pointers made and fourth in career games played in program history, helping lead the Gamecocks to the NCAA Tournament in 2004.
Oklahoma State represented the first head coaching job for Boynton, making stops at Coastal Carolina, Wofford, his alma mater, Stephen F. Austin, and then Oklahoma State in 2016 before being named the 20th head coach of the Cowboys following Brad Underwood‘s departure for Illinois.
Boynton led the Cowboys to a 21–15 season in Year 1 with the program, which would go on to represent one of three 20-win seasons during his seven-year tenure. Ending his Oklahoma State career with 24 wins over nationally ranked teams, 11 against top-10 opponents, and five postseason victories.
He also coached 10 All-Big 12 selections including Cade Cunningham, a consensus First Team All-American, National Freshman of the Year, Big 12 Player of the Year, and No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft.
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