NCAA Basketball: Hot Seat Head Coaches in Mid-December of 2023-24 season

Mike Boynton Jr. – Oklahoma State Cowboys

A former point guard in the SEC at South Carolina, Boynton served on several different coaching staffs before he got his own head coaching shot. He was an assistant to Frank Martin for several at his alma mater before following Brad Underwood, aiding him at both Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State. When Underwood departed for Illinois in 2017, Boynton was the choice to succeed him and is now into his seventh season in Stillwater.

In those first six seasons, Oklahoma State has made just a single appearance in the NCAA Tournament, coming with future #1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham on the roster in 2021. That was also the Cowboys’ only season with a record over .500 in Big 12 play. Things have been a bit stale in Stillwater and certainly didn’t improve when Oklahoma State was upset at home by Abilene Christian on opening night. They’ve added a few other disappointing losses, including in overtime to Notre Dame and against Southern Illinois, sitting at 4-5.

While the Cowboys are coming off their best performance of the season in a win over Tulsa last weekend, it’s clear that Oklahoma State hasn’t exactly been a formidable team in this league. The Big 12 is undergoing some significant change, especially with rival Oklahoma departing the conference next season. Six and a half years is more than enough time to realize that Oklahoma State could use some new blood to recharge the program, though we’ll have to see how Boynton inspires this crew in the months ahead.