Okla.Apr. 1—Oklahoma State has agreed to terms on a contract with Western Kentucky’s Steve Lutz, making him the university’s new head coach of men’s basketball.The athletic department hiring officially announced the hire on Monday afternoon, but the two sides have been linked since Wednesday.In the latter stages of Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg’s 18-day search, he dialed in on Lutz, as well as Grand Canyon’s Bryce Drew. Ultimately, he chose the 51year old San Antonio, Texas, native.Lutz is the 21st coach in program history and the fifth since Eddie Sutton resigned in 2006.“I’d like to thank Chad Weiberg and Dr. Shrum for entrusting me with one of college basketball’s most storied programs,” Lutz said “It’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. Cowboy Nation — I look forward to meeting you all soon and hitting the ground running. Know that my staff and I will work diligently to recruit and retain hardworking kids who will represent you well, on and off the court, and consistently compete for Big 12 championships.”He made his head coaching debut in 2021 with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi before taking the Western Kentucky job ahead of 2023. Lutz has guided his respective programs to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with a career record of 69-35.“Coach Lutz is known as one of the hardest-working coaches in the business,” Weiberg said in a press release by Oklahoma State late Monday night. “He has worked at all levels of college basketball and has deep ties to this part of the country, especially Texas.”Lutz’s connection to Sutton’s coaching tree makes the hiring more prevalent.He spent four seasons as an assistant coach under Matt Painter at Purdue. Painter served as an assistant under longtime Purdue head coach Gene Keady, who got his first break after spending three years as Eddie Sutton’s assistant at Arkansas from 1975-1978.While at Purdue, Lutz was credited for being the main factor in recruiting big man Zach Edey. Edey has since grown into the two-time National Player of the Year.Lutz credits his time with Painter and the Boilermakers as the most impactful of his assistant coaching career.In his three seasons as a head coach, Lutz became known for his lightning-quick tempo. In fact, this season at Western Kentucky, his Hilltoppers topped the charts for possessions per game. Its 75.2 possessions per game average is the most in the KenPom metrics.“The work he has put into his career ...
