Oklahoma State Coach Steve Lutz Looking to Retain Cowboys in the Transfer Portal
Oklahoma State has a new head coach and might soon have an almost entirely new roster.
OSU hired Western Kentucky’s Steve Lutz to be the next coach on Monday and introduced him at a press conference on Thursday. With the coaching search taking so long, Lutz was immediately thrust into a tough position.
Along with that came questions about how he would build the roster after some of the Cowboys’ best players from last season entered the portal after Mike Boynton’s firing. Known for his use of the transfer portal at Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Western Kentucky, Lutz has the experience to build up a depleted roster.
But it also might not need to be an entire batch of new players.
“Without to get into too much personal information, I’ve spoken to everybody here in the gym today, and I’ve spoken to a few that aren’t into the gym,” Lutz said. “My philosophy on guys being in the portal is as long as they’re open to coming back to Oklahoma State, and they’re gonna give me a chance to recruit them back, then we’re gonna work together.”
Four frequent starters for OSU have already entered the portal. With leading scorer Javon Small and freshman center Brandon Garrison entering the portal as it opened, OSU’s roster has been missing key pieces for weeks. Eric Dailey Jr. and Quion Williams followed later in March.
Sitting on the court, John-Michael Wright asked Lutz about his ability to be honest with the players from last season’s team and their fit on his team. Although Wright has no more eligibility, he wanted to know how his former teammates would get through difficult situations this offseason.
“This is not always a fit for everybody,” Lutz said. “And I have a certain vision for the way we want to play, and as a player, you have a vision for the way you want to play. And if those visions don’t align, then it’s never gonna work out. So, I always tell them, when you walk in the door, and I told them all, I have no preconceived notions as to what they can and can’t do.”
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IVAN WHITE
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.