Oklahoma State University (then Oklahoma A&M College) began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in
1908. The Cowboys (including the predecessor Aggies teams) rank 40th in total victories among all
NCAA Division I college basketball programs, with an all-time win–loss record of 1,748–1,249 (.583) at the end of 2023–24 season. The Cowboys (including the predecessor Aggies teams) have made 29 total appearances in the
NCAA tournament (39–28 overall record), reaching the
NCAA Final Four six times (1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1995, 2004) and the
NCAA regional finals (
Elite Eight) eleven times. Oklahoma State (then Oklahoma A&M College) won the
NCAA Championship in 1945 and 1946. The Cowboys rank eleventh (tied with six other programs) in all-time Final Four appearances and tenth (tied with five others) in total NCAA Championships.
Henry Iba era (1934–70) Henry Iba came to Oklahoma A&M College in
1934, where he remained for 36 years, retiring after the 1969–70 season. For most of his tenure at A&M/OSU, he doubled as athletic director. Iba's teams were methodical, ball-controlling units that featured weaving patterns and low scoring games. Iba's "swinging gate" defense (a man-to-man with team flow) was applauded by many, and is still effective in today's game. He was known as "the Iron Duke of Defense". Iba's Aggies became the first to win consecutive NCAA national championship titles (in 1945 and 1946). They beat
NYU in the 1945 national championship and
North Carolina in the 1946 national championship. He was voted coach of the year in both seasons. His two national title teams were led by
Bob Kurland, the game's first seven-foot player. Additionally, Iba's 1945 team defeated
National Invitation Tournament champion,
DePaul, and 6' 9" center
George Mikan in a classic Red Cross Benefit game. Iba's 1949 and 1951 teams also reached the
Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. In conference play, Oklahoma A&M/Oklahoma State teams won 655 games, 14
Missouri Valley championships, and one
Big Eight championship in 36 seasons with Iba as head men's basketball coach. "Mr. Iba," as he is still popularly known at OSU, remained a fixture on campus until his death in 1993, often giving advice to players during practice. One seat in the southeast concourse level of
Gallagher-Iba Arena (which was renamed in his honor in 1987) remains unused in his honor.
Sean Sutton era (2006–08) Eddie Sutton's son,
Sean Sutton, also a former Cowboy player, took over head coaching duties in 2006. Following a record of 39–29 which included a 13–19 mark in Big 12 play during his first two seasons, Sutton resigned under pressure after a March 31, 2008, meeting with Athletic Director
Mike Holder.
Travis Ford era (2008–16) On April 16, 2008,
Travis Ford was hired as the 18th men's basketball head coach at Oklahoma State. He resigned from the same position with the
UMass Minutemen to take the position. At the time of his hiring, he had a Division I coaching record of 123–115. Ford also coached at
Eastern Kentucky and
Campbellsville University (NAIA). As a player, he was coached by
Norm Stewart at the
University of Missouri as a freshman. He transferred after his freshman season and played for three years (1992–94) at the
University of Kentucky under
Rick Pitino. Ford was fired on March 18, 2016 after a season in which the Cowboys went 3–15 in Big 12 play and 12–20 overall. Although he led the Cowboys to five NCAA tournaments in his eight seasons in charge, he never finished higher than third in conference play, and finished sixth or worse in the Big 12 seven times.
Brad Underwood era (2016–2017) Three days after Ford's firing, Oklahoma State hired
Brad Underwood from
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA). He began his coaching career at
Kansas State, first serving as director of basketball operations for a season and then serving as an assistant for five more. Underwood then went to
South Carolina as an assistant for a season before being hired to his first head coaching post at SFA. During his three seasons in charge, the Lumberjacks went 89–14 overall and 53–1 in
Southland Conference regular-season play, making the NCAA tournament all three seasons and advancing to the second round twice. Underwood's 89 wins tie him with
Brad Stevens for the most wins by a men's basketball head coach in his first three seasons at an NCAA school. He is also the first coach to be named Southland Conference Coach of the Year three consecutive times. On March 18, 2017 Brad Underwood was hired at Illinois. During the 2016-17 season, Associate head coach Lamont Evans was engaged in
bribery scheme that came to light in 2017. Evans was sentenced to three months in prison in June 2019 for his participation in the scheme, which he also conducted at the University of South Carolina. In June 2020 press release, the NCAA announced a postseason ban for 2020–21.
Mike Boynton era (2017–2024) The school promoted assistant coach
Mike Boynton Jr. to head coach on March 24, 2017. Under Boynton, Oklahoma State only managed to reach the NCAA tournament once. Led by
Big 12 Player of the Year Cade Cunningham, the Cowboys earned a 4-seed in the
2021 NCAA tournament, where they defeated
Liberty in the First Round before being upset by
Oregon State in the Second Round. Oklahoma State would never make it back to the tournament under Boynton, and he was fired on March 14, 2024, after a 13th place conference finish and first round exit from the Big 12 Tournament. Boynton finished with a 119–109 (.522) record, including 51–75 (.405) in conference play.
Steve Lutz era (2024–present) Steve Lutz was announced as the head coach on April 1, 2024. In his first year, the Cowboys went 7–13 in the
Big 12 and 17–18 overall, earning a bid to the
NIT, where they fell in the quarterfinals to
North Texas. In his second year, the Cowboys improved on their win total from the previous year, going 20–15 with a 6–12 mark in conference play. They again accepted a bid to the NIT, losing in the second round to Wichita State. ==Postseason==