Mike Boynton Proud to Be Going Home for Big 12 Rucker Park Project
(Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen contributed to this story originated by the Big 12 Conference.)
IRVING, Texas – Today, the Big 12 Conference announced the men’s and women’s basketball coaches that will lead youth clinics being held this summer during the Conference’s Rucker Park program, “Big 12 Hoops in the Park”.
Six Big 12 men’s basketball head coaches and five women’s basketball head coaches will travel to New York City to lead the clinics. Men’s basketball coaches participating include Scott Drew (Baylor), Mark Pope (BYU), Wes Miller (Cincinnati), Jerome Tang (Kansas State), Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State) and Jamie Dixon (TCU). Women’s basketball coaches participating include Amber Whiting (BYU), Katrina Merriweather (Cincinnati), Ron Hughey (Houston), Jeff Mittie (Kansas State) and Krista Gerlich (Texas Tech).
“I look forward to representing the Big 12 in NYC,” said Mike Boynton, head men’s basketball coach at Oklahoma State and a Brooklyn-native. “It’s an incredible opportunity for our conference to pour into a community with such a rich basketball tradition. I’m honored to be selected and can’t wait to see the type of impact we can have on the youth of my home city.”
Boynton has been excited since Big 12 Commissioner Brety Yormark first announced the program and felt he would be a near automatic selection to represent the conference. Boynton played there some as a youth, but admittedly was more in the gym of his high school and his summer and youth teams. Boynton always preached how hard it was to get the court and then how hard it was to keep the court with the competition in Rucker Park.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the Big 12 in New York,” said Katrina Merriweather, head women’s basketball coach at Cincinnati. “The opportunity to teach and create meaningful moments with youth at the historic Rucker Park is an incredible honor and having a homegrown New Yorker with A’riel Jackson in our program makes the event even more special.”
Big 12 Hoops in the Park will be held on Tuesday, July 18, in partnership with New York City Parks. Additional partners for Big 12 Hoops in the Park include Hard Rock Hotels, Gatorade, and WHOOP, who will provide fitness bands for each basketball coach. Following drills and clinic sessions, coaches will participate in a Q&A with participating youth. Big 12 Hoops in the Park will also feature live DJs, food trucks, and more.