As Practice Begins, Hoops Coach Steve Lutz Details Staff Responsibilities

STILLWATER – On the first day of basketball practice for Oklahoma State new head coach Steve Lutz met with the media up in the press box of Boone Pickens Stadium about an hour after football coach Mike Gundy gave his autopsy on the loss last Saturday to Utah and prognosis for his Cowboys heading to Kansas State on Saturday. Lutz is nowhere that far down the road, but the new Cowboys basketball coach did say his team made strides from this summer. He feels the basics and the foundation of the program has been covered and it is now on to more advanced instruction and repetition. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Lutz watches practice in the auxiliary gym.

Something that always concerned me with the previous basketball coach in Mike Boynton was the organization and structure of the coaching staff. Honestly, I never believed there was much contribution or any significant delegation of responsibility to the staff. Several times I had confirmation of as much. 

This is different. I felt that when Steve Lutz was hired and I felt it when I asked the head coach Monday how his staff is organized for basketball purposes; practice, scouting, and games. 

“A little bit like football in that we have an offensive side of the ball and a defensive side of the ball. Jeremy Cox and Robert Gusters really focus on the defense,” Lutz explained. “So, the game preps (scouting reports) for each game those two guys will handle that (defense). 

“Then Mike Ekanem and James Miller are on the offensive side of the ball,” Lutz continued. “Then as much as I’m a defensive guy, most coaches when you get into the season get nervous that you’re not going to be able to score. I’m certainly one of those people, so during the season I tend to spend a lot of time thinking offense even though we practice probably more defense. Then Keaton Page will do all of the out-of-bounds (plays) and special situations, those sort of things. Those are the five guys that are allowed to coach.”

In essence all of the staff is involved in the scouting report and planning for each opponent with the work divided up as offense, defense, and inbounds (offense and defense) and special situations. That keeps every coach involved in every opponent in a significant way. 

Western Kentucky Athletics

Newman played for Lutz at Western Kentucky.

Now, as the team prepares throughout preseason practice there is another strong influence helping the players with the way Coach Lutz wants it to look. Graduate guard Brandon Newman transferred from Western Kentucky and he has played for Coach Lutz at two previous stops, Western Kentucky and Lutz’s last assistants role with Matt Painter at Purdue.

“Brandon has certainly tried to be a leader,” Lutz said of the player he has to be most familiar with. “He’s been a part of practice for a year with me and then even at Purdue there has been some carryover. He knows whas going on so he has helped those guys. Plus, he’s old and he’s seen a lot.”

This staff has seen a lot. It’s a good staff and the way it is structured seems pretty good too.