Eight Oklahoma State Men’s Basketball Candidates After Mike Boyton’s Departure

The Oklahoma State Cowboys parted ways with Mike Boynton on Thursday, concluding a tenure that included just one NCAA men’s tournament appearance in seven seasons on the job. Boynton dealt with substantial headwinds in the latter half of his tenure, first with an NCAA tournament ban in 2022 that stood out among punishments from the FBI investigation into college basketball and then with NIL limitations that made recruiting challenging. Despite that, the Cowboys elected to make a change off a 20-loss campaign.

Interest in the job nationally will be closely correlated with the NIL situation. Without a substantial influx in cash for recruiting purposes, the next coach will be fighting with one hand behind their back against the grueling Big 12. But if the money is right, a job in college basketball’s best conference will have plenty of suitors.

Here’s a look at some potential candidates for the job.

Darian DeVries, Drake Bulldogs

Six straight 20-win seasons culminating in back-to-back MVC tournament championships has made DeVries a hot name this cycle. He has resisted past overtures from other jobs, but this time might be different with his son, Tucker, about to graduate and his name hotter than ever. He’s the type of grinder who’d find ways to win at Oklahoma State without much flash.

Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Bulls

Few first-year coaching jobs have been better than what Abdur-Rahim pulled off this season at South Florida, leading a moribund Bulls program to the AAC regular-season title and a 23–6 record overall. He adds that to a résumé that already included remarkable success rebuilding the Kennesaw State Owls and a strong track record as an assistant in the South. An SEC job may be a slightly more natural fit, but he has the connections to build a strong roster at OSU if given the opportunity.

Bucky McMillan, Samford Bulldogs

McMillan has spent his entire career in the state of Alabama, rising from longtime star high school coach to the head coach at Samford and exploding to 29 wins and a trip to the NCAA tournament this season. He’s young, plays an engaging, fast-paced style and would likely recruit at a high level in time. The big question is whether he’s willing to leave Alabama, though Big 12 jobs are tough to turn down.

Preston Spradlin, Morehead State Eagles

It’s a big jump from the Ohio Valley to the Big 12, but Spradlin would be a worthwhile call here. At 37, he has led Morehead State to a pair of NCAA tournaments and four straight 20-win seasons. He’s an elite evaluator of talent, landing future All-American Johni Broome and several other high-level talents in recent years at Morehead. His name could intensify with an impressive performance next week in the NCAA tournament.

Will Wade, McNeese State Cowboys

As of now, it still seems likely Wade will return to McNeese for a second season as he waits out NCAA recruiting restrictions from his past transgressions at LSU. That said, Oklahoma State is the type of program that could roll the dice on a renegade like Wade, whose track record at a similar football-first job in LSU fits well into what Oklahoma State should be looking for.

Josh Schertz, Indiana State Sycamores

It’s become almost obligatory to mention Schertz for every open job. It doesn’t feel overly likely that this is the one that coaxes him from Indiana State, but there’s so much uncertainty about Schertz’s ceiling given we don’t even know whether the Sycamores will get into the NCAA tournament. If ISU misses the dance by a hair, Oklahoma State could join Saint Louis in its pursuit of the former D-II coaching star.

Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon Antelopes

Drew’s brutal finish at Vanderbilt will always be a question mark for potential high-major jobs he’s interested in, but the injury context behind that 0–18 SEC finish was brutal. His success at Grand Canyon makes him attractive for jobs of this caliber, and he has proven he can recruit at the highest level. Leaving one of the cushiest mid-major gigs in the country for one of the toughest ones in the Big 12 might not be an easy sell, though.

John Jakus, Baylor Bears

The Scott Drew coaching tree’s branches are already all over the Big 12. With Jerome Tang (Kansas State) and Grant McCasland (Texas Tech) each succeeding, why not add one more to the mix in Jakus? He’s regarded as one of the best assistants in the country, and has been a part of a Baylor program that has proven it’s possible to win at an elite level in the Big 12 without being among the biggest brands in the league.