WKU Basketball: Lutz goes to Oklahoma State, Leaving Hilltoppers After Just One Season
It was a fantastic year for Steve Lutz and the Tops. But it is time to say goodbye, and thank you.
BREAKING: According to multiple reports, as has been speculated for going on a week, Steve Lutz has been hired by Oklahoma State University to be their next head coach of Men’s Basketball. Lutz leaves after one brilliant season, leading WKU back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 seasons.
What a fantastic year of basketball under Lutz for the Hilltoppers! Many people on campus, the fans, and within the program fell in love with this guy’s energy, attitude, accountability, and results. After years of drought, he brought the rain. And we danced in the rain like some sort of silly rom-com hallmark movie. The Tops kept up with national title contender Marquette until the last ten minutes, and Lutz showed he deserved a chance to move on and up. Nobody can blame him for taking this opportunity. But everyone can say this: Thank you, Coach Lutz. We really appreciate you and what you gave to the Hilltopper community.
Stats
Lutz finishes his Hilltopper career at 22-12, with a conference tournament championship trophy and a solid representation of the Red and White in March Madness.
He took the Tops back to the tournament for the first time since 2013, WKU’s longest drought ever by more than double.
Overall, as head coach, Steve Lutz is 3-0 in his career at winning conference championships and making appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He’s never lost a conference tournament game.
This is the second time Lutz took a .500 conference record underdog to the NCAA Tournament in his three total years as the head man at his two brief stops.
Fun fact: Lutz is the second ever men’s basketball coach in WKU history to go one and done with the program, the first being LT Smith in 1921-1922. Obviously, LT Smith went on to do other things on The Hill (WKU’s Football Stadium is named after him, so this is a truly unique scenario in the more than 100 years of basketball on The Hill. The fact that a coach could come to WKU, leave in one year, and land a Power job that is not on probation, has two national championships, six Final Fours, and 13 tournament appearances since 2000, is just a testament to the extreme quality that Steve Lutz brings. We don’t know where his career ends, but we do know he is an incredible head coaching talent.
Keeping Perspective
It’s a known quality that most coaches at WKU have willingly moved on to other schools. The only ones who didn’t (excluding those who were fired) were John Oldham and EA Diddle. Shoot, if we want to get really technical. Johnny Oldham went on to be WKU’s Athletic Director for 15 years and then got into local BG politics. The point is, WKU generally is not a destination job for most coaches in America. Also, we knew Steve Lutz was incredibly likely to move on at some point, having spent only two years at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, a program from his home state, leaving his family back home, and moving up to WKU, a program that is tangibly better, but not a program that most would view as the ultimate destination. He also has zero previous connection to WKU, so there’s nothing emotionally to keep him here besides what he built in one year. This wasn’t his “crowning glory”, so to speak.
Like it or not, WKU is generally a “stepping stone” job, and often, the coaches competent enough to fill the position will not be affiliated with WKU. So many WKU alums clamor for the familiar, but sometimes that pool is not as deep as looking at all options. Ultimately, we kind of knew what we were getting into, and when Lutz struck gold in Huntsville, it was certainly a possibility that he could get some calls. After losing to Marquette Friday, certain jobs came open that made complete sense for them to be interested in Lutz, and for Lutz to be interested right back.
SMU and Oklahoma State were the two most rumored, but he was probably in the conversation at several schools, and rightfully so. Steve Lutz left his family in Texas, has kids graduating high school, and it just so happens his career is finally taking off after grinding for over two decades. I can’t imagine the conflict and turmoil for a man that has had to move his family around, only to find “stability” as a head coach and be separated from family for years at a time at some of the most crucial moments in his kids’ lives. I’m sure he wonders how his kids feel about this whole process. Ladies, imagine being his wife. It’s such a tough juxtaposition between success and family dynamics. God bless him.
So if he gets a chance to move closer to home and make at least triple (if not five to six times) his income and land at a historically great Power program, what is there to not understand? It makes sense for all involved, and frankly, WKU benefits with a $2 million check.
Now, hopefully WKU did its due diligence behind the scenes and tried to keep Lutz, a true generational talent that doesn’t come by often at a place like WKU. Surely, WKU wouldn’t just encourage him to walk. Surely, WKU as a whole would rather have a coach that wins than a (grand scheme of things) small check. That $2 million would pale in comparison to the impact multiple runs in the NCAA Tournament would make. FAU made way more off of Dusty May than $2 million in his couple of years of success at FAU. However, most of the commentary is likely irrelevant as a massive effort to keep Lutz may have proven fruitless, anyway. Nonetheless, going forward, WKU is back to being a real program with the expectation of making the NCAA Tournament and winning games.
What’s Next?…
WKU has just seen a huge drought lifted, and NCAA Tournament waters lap upon the shores of a dried up river that used to spring eternal with March Madness money. Now, the riverbed is at least flowing with some water, and if the proverbial riverbed could get more full, perhaps WKU Basketball could permanently make its way back onto the national scene at a crucial time in college athletics.
Hopefully WKU takes the steps it needs, makes the right decisions, fights adequately, and puts itself in a position to be relevant for generations to come.
This is not a small moment in history. Hiring the equivalent of a Murray Arnold or Ken McDonald could put WKU right back where it was before this season: A decade of near misses and disappointing seasons. Hiring a coach that can continue the success Steve Lutz brought to WKU gives “Dear Old Western” a chance to “Stand Up and Cheer” for years to come. This hire could be the hire.
…Or Should We Say, Who’s Next?
A quick rundown of potential next coaches is obviously in order at this point. So where do the Hilltoppers look to fill the shoes? (The top three seem to be your top tier options, and then the other candidates are listed in no particular order)
Preston Spradlinlooked like the lead candidate for the Tops, but after WKU, Lutz, and OSU looked to be waiting until at least April 1, it was announced that he had obtained the head coaching position at James Madison. Did James Madison pull a fast one and swoop in and steal him? Or was he not really WKU’s target all along? Who knows on that one…Hank Plona: An assistant on Lutz’s staff, he is young, basketball obsessed, and has prior experience at the JUCO level with an 86% win rate. The idea would be to give this incredibly basketball inclined individual a chance to shine. He would also be able to keep the roster together. By hiring outside the current program, you are risking losing everyone. The players seem to love Plona, and Plona seems to be a very competent recruiter. In Towel Rack’s collective opinion, giving an up-and-coming guy like him a shot seems to be the best option. The lone cons of this hire would be youth/immaturity and the unknown of how he handles a Division I program, and also if you’re betting on stability, how many guys can he really get to stay? It’s possible to bet big on Plona and the roster transfers out anyway. If that happens, is Plona still the guy?
Bob Huggins: Huggy Bear would be a polarizing hire. In simply posting that he was a possibility, tens of comments came back to the tune “yeah no thanks”… But he is a proven winner! Surely he wants to coach again. He would be a massive name to the tune of a Rick Stansbury and Bobby Petrino level hire, except he would have definitively more success than either of those two. He is a true legend and a current member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He at least deserves some consideration. Off the court problems aside, he has a 69.3 win percentage overall at 935-414. He has been to two Final Fours, and is 34-26 all time in the NCAA Tournament. Please find someone with a better basketball resume than Bob Huggins. The obvious cons to this potential candidate are character and controversy. He’s an old fashioned, rugged kind of “here’s how it is” type of guy. To be plain, he can say some stupid things. That got him in trouble at times, saying things that rubbed people the wrong way, and ultimately led to his “resignation” at WVU, spouting an anti-gay slur and insulting Catholics in one fell swoop. He also has a history of alcoholism and spinoff issues thereof.
Darrin Horn: Currently coaching at NKU. At NKU, he has a record of 97-60 for a 61.8 win percentage. He has a 61 percent lifetime winning percentage in 14 total seasons at three different jobs. He has also been to two NCAA tournaments with a record of 2-2. As a former Hilltopper coach, he offers comfort in familiarity. WKU’s coach that led the Tops to the Sweet 16 for the first time since doing it as a player in the 1990s, Horn was beginning to have Stansbury vibes before he went on a magical run in 2008. Darrin rubbed a lot of people the wrong way in Bowling Green last time with what was rumored to be a very arrogant demeanor. Would those people be willing to give him a second chance? Is he a top tier candidate anyway? He’s only managed two NCAA Tournament appearances in 14 seasons as a Division I head coach, including spending four years at South Carolina, a job where a winning record virtually guarantees a postseason berth. There would be so much debate if Horn was hired.
Tom Crean: Another most likely unpopular hire, but still worthy to mention here as some fans seem to want him. He has 56.8 win percentage at 403-306 all time. His NCAA tournament record is 11-9. He is currently not coaching anywhere, but he has multiple WKU ties, and tons of people scream his name every time an opening comes up.
David Boyden: An up-and-coming assistant coach that played at WKU in the early to mid-2000s. He was an assistant at Western Kentucky between 2008-10, and again in 2012-16. He has not been in a head coaching position, but could be in consideration as a cheap up-and-comer with a high upside. Currently at Richmond University, wherever he has gone, he has been a winner. There’s something to be said for that, along with having a good personality and being a good leader as a player and coach. He may still have several more years to cook, but people should start legitimately considering David Boyden in conversations about WKU Basketball and really other mid-major head coaching positions in the mid and coastal south.
Anthony Winchester: Another young assistant coach who has familiarity with WKU. Not only was he on Ken McDonald’s staff, but also played for WKU. He won Sun Belt Player of the Year, and ended his career at 1,732 points. He is currently coaching at Kansas State as an assistant. Younger than Boyden, he still may need to build his resume a little bit. However, some of these OG Hilltoppers in the coaching ranks are getting old enough in age and experience to handle a Division I program.
Dennis Felton: Currently an assistant coach at Providence, but has head coaching experience. He sits at a 52.2 win percentage, with four NCAA Tournament appearances (3 being with Western Kentucky between 2000-2003). Another familiar hire here, and worth a look. Rumor has it he would jump all over the opportunity to coach at Western once again. Felton had WKU humming nationally, earning solid seeds and dominating the Sun Belt in the early 2000s. However, at his other stops, he has been (let’s be honest) well below average. At Georgia, yes, he was handed a bad situation and did pull a miracle run out of the Dawgs in 2008, but he was fired in the middle of the year the very next season. It took him a while to build back his career enough to land a head coaching job, bouncing around the NBA and the NCAA. Finally he landed a head coaching gig at Cleveland State, but his 33 percent winning percentage got him fired after two seasons. Is Felton’s only fit at WKU? Or did he just get lucky at Western and we’re holding to a two decades old myth that he could be a good basketball coach in 2024-25?
Travis Ford: Former Coach at Oklahoma State and Eastern Kentucky (probably where you recognize his name), he was recently fired from St. Louis after a losing season. Before that, he had a pretty decent thing going. The Madisonville, Kentucky, native got several mentions on Twitter when we put out some thoughts on who might be the next coach the past few days, so we’ll put him on here, as well. This is another “why would you do this?” option, though. Yes, he has experience, but that experience is mediocre and watered down with a lot of “pretty average” type of red flags, the main thing being he has been ran out of multiple jobs. However, if you really look at it, his resume is just as good at bigger jobs with more experience than a lot of these candidates.
Kermit Davis: I swear to all things holy if Todd Stewart ever legitimately hires Kermit Davis, I can’t imagine the upheaval. Kermit is an incredibly foul-mouthed, average coach. It took him decades to get MTSU to the NCAA Tournament despite having really good rosters and really good regular seasons. Rumor has it Kermit was remotely in contention, so as a bonus (and an absolute “DO NOT DO THIS” police horn warning) addition to this list, I present to you, O loyal Hilltopper fans who hopefully have memories, former MTSU and Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis.
There you have it. This list might not be remotely accurate (we had Spradlin on initially), but might be spot on. But this is a good estimation and very brief summary on some of the names we expect to be mentioned in the coaching search to replace Lutz. Now that Spradlin is out of the running, our consensus pick is Hank Plona, but if he’s not the choice, let’s just hope Todd Stewart gets a good one. Ultimately it’s about making a good decision that works out.
The only proclamations we’ve seen thus far, which are ridiculously early in the process and proved to be partially untrue, are “Lutz to OSU and Spradlin to WKU.” That’s the only thing we’ve seen, and it wasn’t from reputable sources, and that proved wrong. We know Plona will surely be considered as the one candidate from the current staff, but other than that, we don’t know who’s on the short list or who actually has a decent chance. That remains to be seen.
Buckle up, Topper fans! Let’s hope we come out with a home run on the other side. This is a crucial moment in Hilltopper history.
As always, #GoTops!