Former OSU Coach Mike Boynton Sends Heartfelt Message After Winning Title
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Oklahoma State’s former head coach is now a national champion.
On Monday night, the NCAA Tournament and the men’s college basketball season officially came to an end. WIth Michigan beating UConn in the national title game, the Wolverines finished the year on top of the college basketball world, which also meant that former OSU coach Mike Boynton also finished at the top of the mountain.
In his second season as an assistant with the Wolverines, Boynton was able to help his new program become the best team in all of college basketball, with Monday’s win capping off a dominant postseason run. While there has been plenty of celebration with his Michigan team since Monday, Boynton also recently noted the love he’s seen from Stillwater and the OSU family since the win.
“The messages/support (in the last several hours) I’ve gotten from my people in Oklahoma, and specifically, Stillwater is unconscionable, but I’m not surprised one bit.” Boynton tweeted. “A place that will always be held in high regard by my family. Thank you all. Love you all. #GoPokes Forever”
Boynton’s message on Twitter is unsurprising, given that the support between the coach and OSU has never wavered despite him being with a different team for the past two seasons. While Boynton’s teams in Stillwater were never able to reach the heights most had hoped for, he was always a beloved figure in the Cowboy basketball program, and his latest tweet is just more evidence of why everyone in Stillwater was likely rooting for him to bring home the championship on Monday.
Going into next season, Boynton may now have the opportunity to put his name back into the running for a head coaching job. After seven seasons in Stillwater where he had to deal with numerous situations, Boynton is absolutely primed for the position, and his success with Michigan might have been the final push he needed to get back on the sidelines as the top guy.
Whether he runs it back with Michigan or finds himself leading another program next season, Boynton’s success since leaving Stillwater is undeniable. While the Cowboys haven’t found the level of success they were hoping for in the immediate aftermath of Boynton’s firing, both sides at least appear to be moving in the right direction.
While it might be a while before the Cowboys are back competing for a national championship, it’s at least nice to see Boynton on top of the college basketball world.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.