OSU Basketball Coaching Staff
Last Game
North Texas
Loss
59-65
Mar 21, 2023
2023 NIT
Next Game
Seton Hall
Dec 8
South Orange, NJ
Steve Lutz
Head Coach
Steve Lutz was named Oklahoma State’s 21st head men’s basketball coach on Apr. 1, 2024 and formally introduced three days later.
A rising star who has worked under Creighton’s Greg McDermott and Purdue’s Matt Painter (making him a member of both Eddie Sutton and Henry Iba’s legendary coaching tree), Lutz has gotten his own head coaching career off to a successful start with NCAA tournament appearances in each of his first three seasons.
In rapid rebuilds at Western Kentucky (2023-24) and Texas A&M Corpus Christi (2021-23), the 51-year-old has posted a combined 69-35 record, including a perfect 8-0 mark in conference tournament play.
“Coach Lutz is known as one of the hardest-working coaches in the business,” OSU Director of Athletics Chad Weiberg said. “He has worked at all levels of college basketball and has deep ties to this part of the country, especially Texas. The work he has put into his career has resulted in success as a head coach and why I believe he is the right person to be the leader of Cowboy Basketball.”
Lutz said:
“I'd like to thank Chad Weiberg and Dr. Shrum for entrusting me with one of college basketball's most storied programs. It's a responsibility that I don't take lightly. Cowboy Nation -- I look forward to meeting you all soon and hitting the ground running. Know that my staff and I will work diligently to recruit and retain hardworking kids who will represent you well, on and off the court, and consistently compete for Big 12 championships.”
Lutz-led squads are known for playing hard and fast. WKU led the nation in adjusted tempo (75.1 possessions) in 2023-24 while topping the Conference USA leaderboard in both points (80.6) and effective field goal percentage (54.6%). The Hilltoppers finished 22-13 and punched their first NCAA tournament ticket since 2013 after winning their first ever CUSA tournament title.
Leading scorer Don McHenry (15.1 ppg) earned First Team All-CUSA status and conference sixth-man of the year Rodney Howard was one of four other Hilltoppers to earn honorable mention.
A class act, on and off the court, Lutz was also a finalist for the second straight year for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, given to the head coach who achieves success while displaying strong moral character.
Lutz worked similar magic in Corpus Christi with back-to-back bids, ending what had been a 15-year March Madness drought and a run of four straight losing seasons.
The Islanders were one of the nation’s most-improved teams in 2021-22, jumping from 5-19 to 23-12 with help from a dozen new transfers and an aggressive, opportunistic defense that ranked among the NCAA leaders in steals (8.5) and forced turnovers (14th, 16.5). Lutz was on the shortlist of candidates for the 2022 Joe B. Hall Award (given to the nation’s top first-year head coach) after guiding his team to the Southland Conference tournament title as a No. 4 seed.
A&M-Corpus Christi took another step forward in 2022-23, finishing 24-11 (14-4) while pacing the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Lutz was a slam dunk choice for conference coach of the year after winning the school’s first SLC regular season title since 2007. The Islanders successfully defended their SLC tournament crown, then downed Southeast Missouri State in the First Four for the program’s first-ever win at the Big Dance.
Senior point guard Terrion Murdix – the SLC’s 2023 Defensive Player of the Year – averaged 15.7 points and led league in assists (5.4), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.47) and steals (2.3). He was joined on the All-SLC first team by 6-5 forward Isaac Mushila (14.5 ppg, league-best 9.9 rpg).
Including his time as an assistant at Creighton (2010-17) and Purdue (2017-21), Lutz has coached in seven straight NCAA tournaments, highlighted by Sweet 16 and Elite Eight runs with Boilermakers in 2018 and 2019. He helped Creighton to four trips in seven seasons during a successful transition from the Missouri Valley Conference to the BIG EAST.
Along the way, Lutz had a hand in the development of two national players of the year in Creighton’s Doug McDermott (2014) and Purdue’s Zach Edey (2023), whom he helped recruit to West Lafeyette prior to his final season.
As an Assistant Coach:
Lutz was named head coach at A&M-Corpus Christi in April, 2021. Prior to that, he spent 26 years climbing the coaching ladder.
In four seasons in West Lafayette, Ind., Lutz helped Purdue to a 90-42 record, as well as a 53-24 mark in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers made three NCAA tournament appearances in that span (COVID-19 canceled the 2020 event), winning 30 games enroute to the 2018 Sweet 16. A year later they captured a share of the Big Ten regular season title and advanced to the Elite Eight.
Lutz served as Matt Painter’s “defensive coordinator” helping the Boilermakers to four consecutive top-35 finishes in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings, highlighted by an 11th place showing in 2020.
Lutz also spearheaded the recruitment of one of the college basketball’s most-dominant big men, 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, and was instrumental in the development of Purdue’s guards, including two-time All-American and Jerry West Award winner, Carsen Edwards, and Jaden Ivy, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Prior to Purdue, Lutz helped Creighton make a successful leap from the Missouri Valley Conference to the BIG EAST with six 20-win seasons and five postseason appearances over a seven-year span. The Bluejays won two conference tournaments and one regular season title while compiling a 166-82 record.
Led by 3,000-point scorer and NBA lottery pick Doug McDermott, Creighton posted three consecutive AP top-25 finishes from 2012-14 and won at least one game in three straight NCAA tournaments. The 2014 team led the nation in three-point percentage.
Following a rebuilding year, Creighton reached the 2016 NIT quarterfinals before returning to the NCAA tournament a year later with 25 victories. The 2016-17 squad set a school record for total points and spent 16 weeks in the polls, climbing as high as No. 7.
From 2006-10, Lutz served as Matt Doherty’s recruiting coordinator at SMU, reeling in a pair of top-35 recruiting classes, per Hoop Scoop.
Lutz got his coaching start under Danny Kaspar at Incarnate Word, first serving as a graduate assistant before making the leap to full-time status. He helped the Cardinals – an NAIA program at the time – to three Heart of America regular season titles (1996, 1998, 1999) and three national tournament appearances, highlighted by a quarterfinal run in 1998.
After a year on staff at Garden City (Kan.) Community College, Lutz reunited with Kaspar at Stephen F. Austin for a six-year run at assistant coach/recruiting coordinator and helped guide the Lumberbacks to a pair of 20-win seasons in the Southland Conference.
Playing Career:
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Lutz played basketball for one season at Ranger Junior College and for three at Texas Lutheran, serving as team captain during his senior year.
He earned his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Secondary Education/Business Administration from TLU in 1995 and his M.Ed. with a Concentration in Physical Education, at Incarnate Word in 1997.
Personal:
Lutz and his wife, Shannon, have three children: Caroline, McKenna and Jackson.
The Steve Lutz File:
Coaching Resume:
2024-Pr. – Oklahoma State – Head Coach
2023-24 – Western Kentucky – Head Coach
2021-23 – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – Head Coach
2017-21 – Purdue – Assistant Coach (Matt Painter)
2010-17 – Creighton – Assistant Coach (Greg McDermott)
2006-10 – SMU – Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator (Matt Doherty)
2000-06 – Stephen F. Austin – Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator (Danny Kaspar)
1999-00 – Garden City (Kan.) CC – Assistant Coach (Jeremy Cox)
1995-99 – Incarnate Word – Assistant Coach (Danny Kaspar)
By the Numbers:
.663 – Winning Percentage (69-35)
3 – NCAA Tournament Appearances (2022, 2023, 2024)
3 -- Conference Tournament Championships (2022 SLC, 2023 SLC, 2024 CUSA)
1 -- Conference Regular Season Title (2023 SLC)
9 – All-Conference Selections
Awards:
2x Skip Prosser Man of the Year Finalist (2023, 2024)
Southland Coach of the Year (2023)
NABC District 22 Coach of the Year (2023)
Joe B. Hall Award Finalist (2022)
Coaching Lineage:
Henry Iba (2x NCAA champion) à Eddie Sutton (3x National COY) à Gene Keady (6x National COY) à Matt Painter (2019 National COY) à Steve Lutz
Personal:
Born: October 25, 1972 (51 years old)
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
College: Texas Lutheran ‘95; Incarnate Word ‘97
Wife: Shannon, Children: Caroline, McKenna, Jackson
James Miller
Associate Head Coach
Steve Lutz’ s Oklahoma State men’s basketball staff continues to take shape with the addition of James Miller as associate head coach.
Miller held the same title on staffs at Mississippi State and New Mexico State under Chris Jans. In a six-year span he helped those programs to four NCAA appearances and five conference regular season and tournament titles.
In nine total seasons at the Division I level, Miller has been part of postseason runs at five different schools while collecting nearly 200 wins (194-97, .667). Prior to that, he was a successful head coach at New Mexico Junior College, developing 21 Division I scholarship players in three seasons, including former Oklahoma State point guard Jeff Newberry and current Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams
Lutz said:
“Wherever James goes, success follows. That is no accident. He’s a winner, and I’m thrilled that he and his wife Darlene and daughters Mia and Macy will be joining us in Stillwater. James is as respected and well-connected as any young coach in this business. I am excited to work with him and establish a culture of hard work.”
In Starkville, Miss., Miller and Jans earned back-to-back NCAA tournament bids, breathing life into a Mississippi State program that had danced just once in the previous 13 seasons. The Bulldogs were one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, twice finishing among the top-25 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings.
Miller was elevated from assistant coach to associate head coach in the spring of 2023 after a debut season in which the Bulldogs ranked ninth in defensive efficiency and among the NCAA leaders in scoring defense (9th, .61.0), field goal percentage defense (10th, .394) and steals (23rd, 8.6).
Miller and Jans’ partnership began with a successful four-year run at New Mexico State (2018-22), the last three of which he served as associate head coach. The Aggies became the WAC’s premier program, winning more than three-quarters of their games (94-26, .783) along with three regular season titles and a pair of conference tournament crowns. NMSU’s .825 conference winning percentage (52-11) was the nation’s sixth highest in that span, and 10 Aggies earned first or second team All-WAC honors, headlined by 2022 WAC Player of the Year Teddy Allen.
The Aggies set a program record with 30 wins during the 2018-19 season and took an 18-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament before dropping a heartbreaker to eventual Final Four participant Auburn in the first round, 78-77. Despite not having a player taller than 6-foot-9, NMSU overwhelmed its opponents on the glass, posting the nation’s third-best rebounding margin (+9.7).
The 2019-20 squad was on a similar trajectory, ripping off 19-straight wins – the last 16 during an undefeated run through the WAC regular season – before COVID-19 wiped out the conference and NCAA tournaments.
The pandemic proved to be the only force powerful enough to curb New Mexico State’s dominance. Local health and safety protocols limited the team to just three games and a handful of practices during the first two months of the 2020-21 season, which ended with a 12-8 mark.
The Aggies returned to form in 2021-22 with a 27-7 record, a sweep of the WAC regular season and tournament titles, and the program’s first NCAA tournament victory in nearly in 20 years. Led by Allen’s 37 points, the No. 12 seed NMSU stunned fifth-seeded UConn, 70-63, in the first round.
Prior to New Mexico State, Miller was an assistant under Derrin Hanson at Omaha (2015-16) and under current Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland for one-year stops at Arkansas State (2016-17) and North Texas (2017-18). All three teams earned bids to the College Basketball Invitational.
North Texas, which had never won a postseason game in nearly six decades of Division I basketball, ripped off five of them during its 2018 CBI title run. The Mean Green were one of the nation’s most-improved teams, winning 20 total games (up from eight the previous year).
Miller was involved in a similar turnaround at Arkansas State (2016-17), which doubled its win total from 10 to 20 and reached the CBI semifinals.
During his season in Omaha (2015-16), Miller helped the Mavericks to their first winning season at the Division I level (18-14) and a third-place finish in the Summit League. The team ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense (85.3) and fifth in steals (9.4).
Before making the jump to the NCAA Division I level, Miller spent six years at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, the last three as head coach. His teams went 77-23 (.770) and ended the program’s 17-year national tournament drought with back-to-back appearances in 2013 and 2014.
Miller cut his teeth in the coaching profession as an assistant at Colorado State-Pueblo from 2005-09 after a summer interning with the Arizona State men’s basketball program. He earned his bachelor's degree from Colorado State in 2005 while serving as a student manager and added a master's degree from Northern Colorado in 2007.
Miller and his wife Darlene have two daughters: Mia and Maci.
THE MILLER FILE:
Alma Mater: Colorado State ’05, Northern Colorado ‘07
Wife: Darlene
Children: Mia & Maci
Coaching Experience:
2024-Pr. – Oklahoma State, Associate Head Coach
2023-24 – Mississippi State, Associate Head Coach
2022-23 – Mississippi State, Assistant Coach
2019-22 – New Mexico State, Associate Head Coach
2018-19 – New Mexico State, Assistant Coach
2017-18 – North Texas, Assistant Coach
2016-17 – Arkansas State, Assistant Coach
2015-16 – Omaha, Assistant Coach
2012-15 – New Mexico Junior College, Head Coach
2009-12 – New Mexico Junior College, Assistant Coach
2005-09 – Colorado State-Pueblo, Assistant Coach
Division I Postseason Experience:
NCAA Round of 32 -- NM State (2022)
NCAA Round of 64 -- Mississippi St. (2024), NM State (2019)
NCAA First Four -- Mississippi St. (2023)
CBI Champions -- North Texas (2018)
CBI Semifnals -- Arkansas St. (2017)
CBI First Round -- Omaha (2016)
Robert Guster
Assistant Coach
A 25-year veteran with deep Texas ties, Robert Guster begins his first season as an Oklahoma State assistant coach and his second working with head coach Steve Lutz.
Guster held a similar role under Lutz at Western Kentucky during the 2023-24 season. Together they led the Hilltoppers to 22 wins, a Conference USA championship and the program’s first NCAA tournament bid in 11 years.
Lutz said:
"Coach Guster is already well-versed in the Cowboy Way, having worked 10 years under former OSU guard, Brooks Thompson at UTSA. He is a builder of strong relationships and defenses – two things that often go hand-in-hand. We’ll lean on his recruiting contacts throughout the Midwest to bring in talented, high-character guys, as well as his ability to teach and motivate. Please join in me in welcoming Robert, Melissa, Alivia and Shiloh to the Cowboy Basketball Family.”
Before teaming up with Lutz, Guster spent 17 years in the San Antonio area at Texas State and UTSA.
Guster was part of four 20-wins seasons at Texas State (2016-23), highlighted by back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships in 2021 and 2022 and the program’s first ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
The Bobcats were an elite defensive unit, leading the league in scoring defense in five of his seven seasons on staff and finishing among the nation’s top 30 on three occasions. Guster worked primarily with the big men. His 2019 group led the SBC in rebounds-per-game and the 2022 squad finished with the league’s best field goal percentage. He also had a hand in the development of Lou Henson All-American and 2020 Sun Belt Player of the Year Nijal Pearson.
In 10 years at UTSA (2006-16) under Thompson, Guster helped the Roadrunners to a league championship and two conference tournament title games. The 2011 squad earned the school's first ever NCAA tournament victory in any sport.
Guster’s first Division I assistant job came at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo. (2004-06). He was heavily involved in the Redhawks’ recruiting efforts and oversaw the program’s academic affairs.
Guster started his coaching career at West Plains Community College (now Missouri State-West Plains). In his five seasons on staff (1999-2004) the Grizzlies posted a 120-36 record, and 10 of his recruits went on to earn opportunities at the Division I level.
Guster was West Plains’ starting point guard for two seasons before finishing out his playing career with back-to-back winning seasons at Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T). He twice paced the team in assists and also led the MIAA Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Born in Chicago and raised in West Monroe, La., Guster earned his bachelor's degree in history from Missouri-Rolla in 1999. He later received his master's degree in elementary education from Missouri State in 2002. He and his wife, Melissa, have one daughter, Alivia, and a son, Shiloh.
THE ROBERT GUSTER FILE:
Hometown: West Monroe, La.
College: Missouri-Rolla, ’99; Missouri State ‘02
Wife: Melissa
Children: Alivia, Shiloh
Coaching Resume:
1999-2004: Assistant Coach, Missouri State-West Plains
2004-2006: Assistant Coach, SEMO
2006-2016: Assistant Coach, UTSA
2016-2023: Assistant Coach, Texas State
2023-24: Assistant Coach, Western Kentucky
2024-Present: Assistant Coach, Oklahoma State
Keiton Page
Assistant Coach
The same leadership qualities, basketball knowledge and relentless work ethic that made Keiton Page one of the great scorers in Cowboy Basketball history continue to benefit the program today.
The 2024-25 season will be Page’s 17th overall at Oklahoma State his first as an assistant coach under new head man Steve Lutz.
"After visiting with Keiton, it was clear that our values and priorities align. I’m delighted to have him on our bench,” Lutz said. “His work ethic, basketball knowledge, leadership skills, and deep-rooted connection to Oklahoma State will be invaluable as we rebuild Cowboy Basketball."
The 35-year old Page spent 11 seasons on support staffs under Travis Ford, Brad Underwood and Mike Boynton Jr. before earning a promotion to assistant coach in the Spring of 2023.
Prior to that, Page was a four-year starter and two-time All-Big 12 performer for the Cowboys from 2008-12. He still ranks tenth on the school’s career scoring list with 1,651 points and is second all-time in three-point field goals (299).
Altogether, Page has helped the Cowboys to nine 20-win campaigns, seven NCAA tournament appearances and three NITs.
Page served on support staffs for three different OSU head coaches from 2012-23. He started as a graduate assistant and later assistant director of strength and conditioning under his former coach Travis Ford (2012-16). Brad Underwood retained Page as his assistant director of player development in 2016-17 and Mike Boynton Jr. promoted him to director a year later.
During that time Page took an active role in the on and off-court progress of the Cowboy student-athletes while assisting the coaching staff with game and practice film analysis. In later years, he added operations to his plate, handling team gear and scheduling while running point for a number of alumni and community outreach events, including the annual summer camps.
The 5-foot-10 Page earned the nickname “the Pawnee Pistol” for his exploits at Pawnee High School. Playing for his father, David, he won a pair of 2A state titles (2005 and 2008). As a senior he set new state records for points (1,287) and points-per-game (44.4) on his way to state player of the year honors.
Page’s family tree is packed full of Oklahoma high school coaches. His grandfather, Howard Ray, was a legendary coach at Collinsville High School. His father, Davis, won six state titles as Pawnee and Yale. Brother Brady played and assisted on those teams and is now the head coach at Hennessey.
Page and his wife Jordan – the daughter of longtime Mannford and Verdigris coach Randy Upshaw -- have three children, Blakely, Kamden and Kollyns.
THE PAGE FILE:
Alma Mater: Oklahoma State ‘12
Degree: Public Administration
Wife: Jordan
Children: Blakely, Kamden, Kollyns
Coaching Experience:
2023-Pr. – Oklahoma State, Assistant Coach
2017-23 – Oklahoma State, Director of Player Development
2016-17 – Oklahoma State, Assistant Director of Player Development
2012-16 – Oklahoma State, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Playing Career:
2008-12 – Oklahoma State
2x All-Big 12
No. 10 on OSU career scoring list (1,651 points)
299 career triples are second-most in OSU history
Mike Ekanem
Assistant Coach
Mike Ekanem begins his first season at Oklahoma State as an assistant coach. He's held similar titles over the past two seasons at George Mason (2023-24) and Sam Houston (2022-23) and has served on support staffs at Arkansas, Texas A&M, Nevada and Memphis as well as with the San Antonio Spurs.
Lutz announced the hiring on May 3, 2024:
“Mike is a rising star in the coaching world. He understands the hard work and daily habits that build successful people and programs because he’s been around them his entire career. We are excited that he, his wife Hannah and his sons, Major and Tye, will be joining us in Stillwater.”
Ekanem well-regarded in college basketball circles. Silver Waves Media included him on its 2023 list of rising mid-major assistant coaches. He was chosen to participate in the 2022 TopConnect Assistant Coach Forum and featured in the April 2022 edition of Ballers Magazine.
Last season at George Mason, Ekanem helped get the Tony Skinn Era off to a successful start with a 20-12 finish. The Patriots’ posted their highest winning percentage since 2012 and knocked off their highest-rated opponent (No. 16 Dayton) since upsetting UConn in the 2006 Elite Eight. Defensively, GMU led the A-10 in scoring defense (65.9) and limited foes to a .404 field goal percentage (15th nationally).
Before that, Ekanem helped Sam Houston put together a dominant defense of its own while working under Jason Hooten. The 2022-23 Bearkats won a school-record 26 games along with the WAC regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NIT. Along the way, they held opponents to a paltry 59.3 points per game (4th nationally) on 39.1% shooting (7th) and forced an average of 16.6 turnovers (11th). Ekanem was instrumental in the team’s recruiting efforts, helping land the first and third-highest rated signees in program history.
Ekanem teamed up with Eric Musselman for separate stints at Nevada (2018-19) and Arkansas (2021-22), both of which culminated with NCAA tournament bids. He was the Razorbacks’ Director of Player Development during a season that ended in the Elite Eight and helped reel in the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class. As Multimedia Specialist, he helped Nevada to a 29-5 record, the Mountain West regular season crown and a No. 7 seed in the Big Dance.
In between, Ekanem spent two seasons in the SEC as Buzz Williams’ Director of Scouting at Texas A&M.
Prior to his time at Nevada, Ekanem worked for four years at Memphis (2014-18) – the first two as Special Assistant for Josh Pastner. He was retained by Tubby Smith and coordinated the program’s video and social media efforts, while assisting with scouting and recruiting.
Before arriving at Memphis, Ekanem worked at Louisiana Tech as an assistant women's basketball coach, overseeing the recruiting, scheduling, camps and guard development.
From 2007-13, Ekanem was employed by Spurs Sports and Entertainment as a Basketball Operations Assistant for the San Antonio Spurs under Gregg Popovich and as Director of Video and Athletic Performance for the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA. For both organizations, he assisted in practice and game preparation, video, skill development and strength and conditioning.
A Houston native and 2005 Texas Lutheran graduate, Ekanem was an all-conference player and four-year letter-winner for the Bulldogs before moving overseas to play professionally.
Ekanem earned a master's degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2008. He also holds certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Mike and his wife Hannah have two children, Major and Tye.
Isaiah Brooks-Sena
Director of Scouting & Analytics
Isaiah Brooks-Sena – better known as “Zeke” – has followed every step of Steve Lutz’s head coaching journey, from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to Western Kentucky and now Oklahoma State where he will serve as the Cowboys’ Director of Scouting and Analytics.
“Zeke is as loyal and hard-working as they come,” Lutz said. “His film breakdowns and outstanding people skills have helped take our recruiting, scouting and player development to another level. I look forward to more of the same here at OSU.”
Brooks-Sena was Western Kentucky’s Director of Operations/Scouting during the 2023-24 season, helping the Hilltoppers to 22 wins, the Conference USA tournament title and a trip to the NCAA tournament.
Prior to that he was Lutz’s Video Coordinator for a year at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The 2022-23 Islanders sweep the Southland Conference’s regular season and tournament titles and won an NCAA tournament game for the first time in school history.
Brooks-Sena was also involved in a successful run at Akron as the program’s graduate assistant under head coach John Groce. The 2021-22 Zips won 24 games and the MAC tournament crown on the way to their first NCAA appearance in nine years.
A Santa Fe native, Brooks-Sena spent four years as a student manager at the University of New Mexico under former head coach Paul Weir – the last as head manager. He graduated in May 2021 with a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing.
While at UNM, Brooks-Sena also coached various youth league teams through the Laguna Sports Academy, a local non-profit dedicated to enriching the lives of Native American children through athletic and academic programming.