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Oklahoma State Basketball

5 Thoughts on Mike Boynton's Contract Extension

March 31, 2021
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STILLWATER – There were a lot, and I mean a lot of people who were worried about some of the coaching vacancies around college basketball and those schools reaching out to Mike Boynton. Well, Oklahoma State put all that mess to rest when they signed coach Boynton to a seven-year contract extension worth $3 million a season.

I (Zach Lancaster) teamed up with Marshall Levenson to put together these 5 Thoughts on Mike Boynton’s contract extension. I wanted to get the perspective of a student on what this means to the student body.

(Zach Lancaster’s thoughts)

He’s Absolutely Earned It

There was no question about whether Mike Boynton could recruit. While he lost a good chunk of his original class to dismissal or transfer, he since brought in a top-20 recruiting class that included Avery Anderson III and Kalib Boone, two big-time performers and leaders of this team moving forward, and a top-five class that included the No. 1 overall prospect in the country in Cade Cunningham. Not to mention Rondel Walker and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe who look to be stars on this team for the next few seasons. He also brought in Isaac Likekele, who’s been a leader of this team since day and one of the best players in the Big 12 when he’s not sick or injured.

One of the questions about Boynton and his teams were can they win, and they absolutely proved they could this season. They posted the best OSU record since the 2012-13 season and knocked off quite a few really good teams in the process. While they turned out to be not-so-great, the Pokes knocked off an at-the-time good Marquette team on the road, they swept a really good Texas Tech team, beat a top-10 Texas team in double-overtime, beat a top-10 West Virginia team twice, back-to-back, swept a top-10 and top-20 OU team, back-to-back, then knocked off No. 2 Baylor to advance to the Big 12 championship game. They also won the program’s first NCAA tournament game since 2009.

With the direction Mike Boynton has had the program going in the last three seasons, including the way he and his staff recruits, Oklahoma State is in great hands and should continue to get better.

Mike Boynton Loves Oklahoma State and Stillwater

This thought pairs together with the previous thought about the program’s success. There was a lot of video floating around the past few days from Boynton’s introductory press conference. There was a lot of emotion based on the appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to be a head coach. Boynton continued to show and tell that appreciation and gratitude over the next four seasons with everything he did. The NCAA, and FBI for that matter, proved he wasn’t involved in Lamont Evans’ cheating scandal. Ever chance Boynton gets, he’s repping loyal and true, as well as supporting every other head coach on campus by attending games and talking about how much they mean to his grow as a head coach.

Ever chance he gets he’s talking about the history of the program and how he’s trying to honor and immolate the success and tradition set by Henry Iba and Eddie Sutton.

Then there’s the extension itself, which shows he’s invested in this program and community for the long haul. He’s reinvigorated a fanbase and student section that wasn’t talking about the program all that much, let alone showing up for games. Had there been full capacity in GIA this season, I have no doubt every home game would’ve been a sellout. Mike Boynton is exactly what this program needs.

The Extension Should Ensure This Roster Sticks Together

I’ll start out by saying I don’t think the extension will have any impact on Cade Cunningham’s decision to head to the NBA. However, even if the NCAA upholds its (unfair) punishment, I feel this team will stick together. There’s still the question of whether Bryce Williams returns, but I believe we’ll see a very large number of the guys stick together moving forward. Had Boynton be lured away by another program, it would’ve been inevitable that we saw guys, probably a large number, jump ship and either follow Boynton or go somewhere else. Every recruit, and now alum of the program has said is they love Mike Boynton, he’s the reason they chose to either commit to or stay at OSU. He’s a genuine players coach and it’s evident by the loyalty the team showed by in June by all recommitting after the NCAA levied (unfair) penalties against the program.

Avery Anderson III took a huge leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons, and in theory should do so again between his sophomore and junior seasons. There’s no question as the Avery being one of the best players in the conference the last month and a half of the season. Kalib Boone took a nice leap up from his freshman season and had a solid last two months of the season. Hopefully Isaac Likekele is back to his old self because he’s an absolute menace and one of the best players in the conference when he is. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe and Rondel Walker will hopefully take similar leaps as Avery Anderson did between their freshmen and sophomore seasons and will really add a great defensive and explosive element to next year’s squad.

Keylan Boone really stepped up down the stretch and hopefully continues that into next season and hopefully Chris Harris and Donovan Williams are able to get healthy and make an impact next season as well. Also, I’m looking forward to see how Bernard Kouma progress throughout the spring and summer into next fall.

(Marshall Levenson’s thoughts below)

Recruiting For The Long Run

This extension for Boynton will be a major factor in the 2022 recruiting class as well as the years beyond that. With so many coaches being fired or bouncing around jobs right now, recruits will be looking for a stable situation and nothing is more stable than a coach signing for seven years and saying this is “his home”. Boynton and staff can now recruit and honestly pitch the idea of longevity and long-term success within the program, which goes a long way in the eyes of recruits. 

Players Are Not The Only Believers, The Students Will Show Up

As a student at Oklahoma State and media member, I see the players talk about how much they care for and support Coach Boynton and that he is the right guy for the job. After this past season and now with the seven-year extension, the fans and students can now comfortably hop on that train without worry of losing their coach along the way. GIA will be absolutely packed to the roof in the coming years and the students will be louder than ever. I personally think Boynton is one of the best coaches in the country at relating and connecting with his fans, especially students. Because of this, the students, will reciprocate this and show the absolute most support for their coach will continue the idea of GIA being one of the rowdiest gyms in America. 

Discussion from...

5 Thoughts on Mike Boynton's Contract Extension

2,892 Views | 8 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by CaliforniaCowboy
WorldseriesofPoke
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We had to do it...he is too good to just rely on the old contract. We need him to stay here about a decade or two....
CaliforniaCowboy
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so far, he's not as good as most of his recent predecessors... not for more money than ANY of the others made...

(through first 4 years, except Underwood 1 season, Sean 2 seasons)

Eddie - 0.733
Underwood - 0.606
Ford - 0.597
Sean - 0.574
Boynton - 0.554
Hamilton - 0.471

... and I would offer that Hamilton had a much, much, much harder time because the programs was sooo bad when he took it over - but he turned it around winning 17 games his last 2 years and leaving the program absolutely stocked for Eddie.

The actual facts seem to suggest that Coach B is dead last in overall performance compared to recent predecessors.

He deserved a raise, but I simply do not understand why this guy is up on some pedestal that none of the rest were put on (meaning Eddie never got that kind of money despite all the ata-boy's he got)

He's getting more money than Ford, for a worse job so far, and Ford's best season isn't even in these totals (his 5th year)

CaliforniaCowboy
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Zach, I really love your enthusiasm and I hope that your fan interest and attendance projections are close to correct, despite the fact the college basketball attendance has been in the decline for much of the past decade.

Coach B has a long row to hoe to get the fans back into the stands, and it's likely going to have to be with steep discounts, like OSU has done recently.

Coach B has had the worst years of attendance (excluding this COVID limited access season), in recent history, with only one season being worse, which was Ford's last season where the stupid fans were supposedly "sending a message" to Holder....

(avg per home game)
B 19-20 7,609
B 18-19 7,292
B 17-18 7,010
U 16-17 8,436
F 15-16 5,857
F 14-15 7,897
F 13-14 10,397
F 12-13 9,814
F 11-12 9,239
F 10-11 10,447
F 09-10 11,585
F 08-09 10,031
S 07-08 12,504
S 06-07 13,008
E 05-06 11,591
E 04-05 12,242
WorldseriesofPoke
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Best Coach since Eddie was here...Eddie would be proud of the defense this team plays....YEEE HAWWW!
CaliforniaCowboy
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all of those coaches actually played good defense.

This guy played a fair amount of zone defense --- Eddie almost never ever played zone defense.

but there are other obvious similarities - overall toughness, effort, and denying the passing lane.

I really like the way Coach B's teams play defense.

here is a good read about Eddie and his coaching style, if you're interested.

https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2020/apr/05/state-hogs-defense-made-eddie-sutton-great/


Boynton had one year of success... but depending on how you measure "best"... Ford is actually 3rd in OSU history according to the OSU site.

His (Ford's) 155 wins and .583 win percentage rank third in program history behind only Mr. Henry Iba and Eddie Sutton among all OSU coaches with more than two years of experience.

https://okstate.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/travis-ford/8

In eight seasons under Ford, the Cowboys defeated 21 ranked opponents, including wins over Kansas in each of the last four seasons.

An 85-80 victory over top-ranked Kansas in Lawrence on Feb. 2, 2013 was the first-ever road victory over a No. 1 team in school history.
Orangeheart72
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Cal, you've got good stats and facts as usual. It does cause a tad of a pause. I think the positives a lot of us (or at least myself and some friends see) are inclusive of these:

Ford could recruit, could recruit some big time guys, but he couldn't seemingly recruit a full roster and/or hold it together. Boynton had his credit card/air gun/young lady messes.....but ended up clearing the decks and sending a HCMG type message. Stay clean of legal and female issues in Stillwater.

Ford also seemingly didn't value or couldn't achieve competitive size/heighth players for Big XII competition game in/game out. Boynton hasn't got the ideal big man lineup yet....but we're doing better.

Mike Boynton has built a love relationship with OSU's fan base and Stillwater. He seems to like us and it, whether that's try his East coast heart or not......he's made it believable and he's beloved. That's worth something. Ford didn't and in fact, I think his long contract was due to Holder's fear he wasn't loving "us or it." Maybe unfair assessment but still reality.

Finally, Boynton is an up and coming, young, African American coach. If folks look at Leonard Hamilton's ability to recruit to Stillwater, I think you have to believe it makes a difference. And it speaks well for OSU to give a minority coach with no head coaching experience a try at a big time historical program (again).

I like the chances of this working out well for both parties. I'm excited that during these strapped OSU budget times....this worked out.
CaliforniaCowboy
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yep.... I'm all about the make me "pause a tad"....

one post season trip in 4 years, and some really bad teams and bad recruiting decisions... I have no idea why the fans would be endeared with him, and not already run him out of town like every other coach....

Ford had only one problem.... he was making final 4 money and delivering post-season teams and all americans, but no titles, and no sweet 16.

Well... Boynton now has that same problem.... final 4 money, and only one post season trip in 4 tries.

since he's making final-4 money now, then hopefully we'll start seeing a better product year in and year out, but IMO, we're already set for a drop next year, the recruiting class isn't in yet, so we'll see... he needs to quickly pull a rabbit out of his hat though.

I am not against Boynton. I just an not convinced that he's the "walk on water" coach that most fans are making him out to be.

we don't even have any recruits in this class with 2 ships to offer. maybe it's because of the pending penalty, maybe it's because our roster is already loaded except inside.... but none? Nobody?

I think it is healthy for us to talk about what really is, instead of just pretending that it might be something that we hope it is. Nobody talks about the great coach that got fired to hire Cade's brother. Nobody talks about the great guys let go due to us having a budget problem. Nobody talks about the worst 3 year attendance in a decade. Nobody talks about the revolving door of players, including Hedde, Anei, Pena, Flavors, Cade, etc... not just trouble makers, of which there were those too.

The Big12 was way down this year, aside from Baylor.

Believe me, I've got my fingers crossed, and my legs, and eyes and everything else I can cross.... I'm hoping we can have success next year, I'm hoping that the alumni step up and buy tickets.

I hope that paying him more than any other OSU coach ever, makes him the best coach we've ever had...

we all know how hard it is, especially in this "what have you done for me lately" world.

Paying somebody more does not make them coach better, especially when you bust the bank to do it. We just put all of our eggs in one basket, and it's a gamble.
CaliforniaCowboy
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Chris Beard new HC at Texas..... that coach, with those resources, the league just got almost impossible to win. Bill Self is not going anywhere. Scott Drew is not going anywhere....

Note: TT got a wonderful coach (1-year prior experience at Ark LR), and he immediately took TT to the very top of college basketball.... and it didn't take him 4 years.

Well, after this year's pseudo-success, we have a decent springboard into the 2021-2022 season... let's hope we can parlay it into another trip to the Big Dance. That's my minimum expectation.
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