Oklahoma State Basketball: 10 candidates to replace Mike Boynton as Head Coach

Pat Kelsey

Prior to Boynton, Oklahoma State’s last two head coaching hires had both been successful mid-major head coaches and it stands to reason that the Cowboys might go this route again. There are still numerous coaches fighting that bill in our list today, though we’re really intrigued by the energy Kelsey could bring to Stillwater.

A native of Cincinnati and former point guard at Xavier, he was an assistant under Skip Prosser at Wake Forest before aiding Chris Mack at his alma mater. Kelsey has been a collegiate head coach since 2012, leading Winthrop to three Big South titles in nine years as the Eagles’ head coach. He’s shown no signs of slowing down since landing at Charleston in 2021 and has the Cougars in a second consecutive NCAA Tournament with another CAA title.

Kelsey has been part of a lot of winning in the last half-decade and certainly has the tools to promote a winning culture at Oklahoma State. There’s no guarantee he could have that same type of success in the Big 12, but he’s no stranger to major programs, having that prior ACC experience during some of Wake Forest’s best seasons. The biggest question is if Kelsey would be interested in the job, as a few other colleges might be even more interested in his services.