Cowboy fans favor Boynton as two former OSU coaches reach Final Four

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A cruel tease?

Good for him?

Brad Underwood. Mike Boynton.

Oklahoma State’s last two coaches are in the Final Four and inching closer to winning a national championship — that creates an interesting rooting dichotomy for Cowboys fans who follow college basketball.

The days of Underwood leading OSU were short-lived and are probably a distant memory for most fans. He coached the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament in his lone season in 2017, but quickly bolted afterward to accept the Illinois job.

Now, Underwood’s Illini will face UConn on Saturday at 5:09 p.m. for a spot in the title game. Some OSU fans may resent Underwood for leaving town after one season, while some might hold more of a “What if” sentiment and don’t mind his success.

Boynton is the more beloved coach. He was Underwood’s successor and coached the Cowboys for seven seasons from 2017-24, but only reached one NCAA Tournament in 2021 with star guard Cade Cunningham. 

Cowboy fans and students love Boynton for the way he resonated with the fan base. He often visited the student union to pass out tickets, delivered an impassioned message in defense of the school in 2021 when it was penalized by the NCAA, and was known for graceful interactions with fans and students.

Now, Boynton is in his second season as the lead assistant and defensive coordinator at Michigan. The Wolverines will face Arizona at 7:49 p.m. on Saturday. If Illinois and U-M win, Underwood and Boynton would meet in the national championship game.

So, in a two-day poll conducted on X, OSU fans were given four options when asked who they’re rooting for this weekend: Underwood, Boynton, both or neither.

Out of 220 votes, 73% voted for Boynton, 16% voted for neither, 8% picked both and 3% picked Underwood.

Several fans offered explanations.

“Mike Boynton will always be a fan favorite because he is a solid human being,” one fan commented. “It didn’t work out, but he never stopped loving the university. Underwood is not someone I’d trust. I’d trust (Boynton) without hesitation.”

Other fans who voted for Boynton shared a similar support for the former OSU coach.

“(Boynton) is still a Cowboy in my heart. Hope he’s cutting the nets down soon,” one fan said.

Another fan said they’re rooting for Boynton because he believes the OSU athletic department could have put Boynton in a better position for success.

“Boynton is a good coach. He just never received support from the school.”

For Underwood, most fans voiced displeasure, but one fan said they’re rooting for him because the Cowboys should have prevented Underwood from leaving for Illinois.

“Tough love reasons. Shouldn’t have let him walk. OSU leadership needs to see their mistake play out with the worst consequences. Our basketball program has floundered because of a slew of similar decisions.”

Some fans are still upset with Underwood over the Cowboys’ 2021 punishment, when the NCAA imposed a one-year postseason ban and several scholarship reductions for three seasons on OSU, stemming from Lamont Evans’ role in a 2017 bribery investigation.

Evans was an assistant coach on Underwood’s staff, and his actions occurred before Boynton was hired.

“Brad never had to answer for the (stuff) that he infested our program with,” one fan commented. “The guy is crooked as a politician!”

Overall, most Cowboy hoops fans still support Boynton and want to see him do well. Others aren’t big fans of Underwood, given his brief time with the school.

“Well one of those, (Boynton), is a Cowboy for life,” one fan said. “And the other is… Well, not.”