OSU Basketball: Steve Lutz Excited to Coach in Big 12 Next Season
Oklahoma State’s new head coach is ready for the challenge of coaching in Stillwater.
This offseason, OSU hired Steve Lutz from Western Kentucky to lead the men’s basketball program. Although Lutz only had three years of head-coaching experience, his success at mid-majors made the decision easy.
In three seasons at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Western Kentucky, Lutz made the NCAA Tournament each year. In a recent interview with Jon Rothstein on his College Hoops Today podcast, Lutz talked about the move from a mid-major to the Big 12.
“I said it was daunting when you get the job, but man, I’m excited,” Lutz said. “I’ve got to figure out a way to go beat those guys.”
In getting a roster together this offseason, Lutz has attempted to put his team in a position to compete in the conference next season. After building rosters through the transfer portal at his first two stops, Lutz has done it again in Stillwater.
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Along with building a team capable of competing in Stillwater, Lutz has looked to the Cowboys’ past for inspiration.
“I grew up watching coach [Eddie] Sutton and how great his teams were,” Lutz said. “I brought my Corpus Christi team here in my second year if I remember correctly. Growing up, this was a dream to play in the Big 12, and obviously, once you get into coaching, it’s certainly a dream to coach in the Big 12.”
OSU beat Lutz’s Corpus Christi group 81-58 in the 2022-23 season, marking his only trip to Stillwater as a head coach. Considering the lessons he has taken from Sutton throughout his coaching career, Lutz should be a seamless fit at OSU next season.
Although OSU has not made it to the NCAA Tournament in three years, Lutz has hopes much higher than just returning to the Big Dance.
“We’ve been to the Final Four in ‘04 and [1995],” Lutz said. “There’s no reason we can’t do it again. So, we’ve just gotta get the right people in place and get moving in the right direction.”
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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.