Six Candidates to Replace Mike Boynton at Oklahoma State
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just two days after Oklahoma State was eliminated by UCF in the Big 12 Tournament, the Cowboys opted to fire Mike Boynton Jr.
The former Stephen F. Austin assistant followed his boss, Brad Underwood, to Stillwater and was promoted after Underwood left for Illinois.
Boynton lasted seven seasons, making one NCAA Tournament and three NIT appearances. He left Stillwater with a winning record but never elevated the program back to Eddie Sutton’s era.
That will be the next coach’s job. I would imagine that OSU will go the mid-major head coaching route or find a well-heeled assistant with Big 12 ties.
Here are a half-dozen candidates to replace Boynton.
Dusty May, Head Coach, FAU
May will be busy for the next couple of weeks, but he will be one of the hottest coaches on the market once the Owls are done with their NCAA Tournament run. He led the Owls to the NCAA Final Four last year, beating Kansas State in the Elite Eight along the way. May stayed with the Owls after that, which means he likely has a “destination” in mind. He would be a great get for OSU. He would also be a great get for any open job. The competition to lure him away will be fierce. OSU will likely fail to get him, but he’s worth shooting the shot.
Pat Kelsey, Head Coach, College of Charleston
Another mid-major star who is going to get courted when his team is done with the NCAA Tournament. He led Charleston back to the Dance this season and will make his fifth NCAA appearance as a head coach next week. He’s won more than 250 games at Charleston and his previous stop, Winthrop. If May is No. 1 on everyone’s board, Kelsey will be No. 2 on most and likely a primary target of WVU since he’s from the Cincinnati area.
Anthony Grant, Head Coach, Dayton
Grant already has a good job and he’s made the Flyers consistent winners since he arrived in 2017. Dayton just put together its third straight 20-win season and its fifth in six years under Grant. His best team was his 2019-20 team, which looked poised to crash the Final Four before the game was shut down due to COVID-19. His tenure at Alabama (2009-15) was a lot like Boynton’s, but he’s lived and learned and should be ready for another high-major job if he wants it.
Danny Sprinkle, Head Coach, Utah State
He just got to Utah State, but he basically had to build a brand-new team. In his first season, he’s won 26 games and has the Aggies in the Top 25. Before that, he led Montana State to 81 wins and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Finding a new coach is a cutthroat business. You can’t worry that a coach has only been at a school for one season. If Sprinkle is the right fit, he’s worth pursuing.
Will Wade, Head Coach, McNeese
Would the Cowboys really go this route? I have my doubts. Wade’s tenure at LSU ended in scandal, but he’s resurrected the McNeese Cowboys and led them to the NCAA Tournament. I can see some high-majors playing the “forgive-and-hope-they-forget” game by hiring Wade. But given how OSU was sucked into the FBI scandal, I think this is a long shot. Don’t be surprised if a rumor comes up, though. Finding a mid-major coach with high-major experience isn’t easy.
John Jakus, Associated Head Coach, Baylor
Boynton is going to get a solid buyout from Oklahoma State — it could be $8 million or more — so the Cowboys may not have the coin to spend. Jakus would be a great option if OSU wants to go the assistant route. Every single one of Scott Drew’s assistant coaches have found success at other schools — including Kansas State’s Jerome Tang and Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Plus, it’s a hire that hurts your conference rival, and that’s never a bad thing.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
