Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Basketball Head Coach Mike Boynton Introductory Press Conference Quotes
March 27, 2017 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State President Burns Hargis
"Welcome to a very exciting day here at Oklahoma State University. I'm pleased to participate in this announcement of the new basketball coach for Oklahoma State University, who will be introduced later. We rekindled something special this last year. I have every expectation that excitement is going to grow and be better than ever. Get your tickets now."
"I want to welcome his family, we're glad you're here. I want to thank the board of regents for their help in all this. I also want to thank Mike Holder, who worked very hard on this. He did a great job and with the valuable input of the committee recommended to me we hire Mike Boynton as our new men's basketball coach and I agreed with that decision. So now I would like to turn it over to Mike Holder to introduce Mike Boynton."
Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder
"It's great to see the players here. At the end of the day that's what it's all about. I look at you and I think about me at 17 years old when I first showed up on this campus. I never dreamed of what would happen. That day seemed like any other day. Looking back now, those four years were the best four years of my life. So it's wonderful to see you guys here."
"I've got a lot of people to thank today before I get into this. We have great leadership at our university. We're so blessed. We've got a great president, transformational president. He's seen more happen on our campus during his tenure than any other I can remember and I've been here a long time, so I probably have a little credibility. So thanks to Burns Hargis. I'd like to thank the regents for their support, and not only for what's happened in the last week, which was critical and crisis management, but as long as I've been here whether it be a golf coach or athletic director. We've got great leadership at this university."
"I'd also like to thank the fans. Very, very passionate. Trust me, I heard from them. My email box was full. You've got to have pretty thick skin sometimes with some of those emails, but I promise each and every one of you that felt strongly enough to send me your thoughts, I read every one. I responded to every one. They may have been short responses because I didn't have a lot of time but I wanted you to know I read every one of them and I appreciated the passion that you have, positive or negative. It doesn't matter. If you're going to build something special you have to have a product or something that inspires emotion and we've got plenty of that in our fan base and that tells me we can go to great heights."
"I'd also like to thank the students. Without the students we wouldn't have a job. You're our lifeblood. You're what we get up for every day, and to see you back in the building that's been very gratifying this year. You bring the energy. That's why everyone else comes in the building. Two things: players and students. That's what it's all about."
"I'd also like to thank Brad Underwood. Brad was only here a year, but he did a lot of positive things. He ignited the passion in our fan base and got them back in the arena. I saw a transformation in a lot of our players, which is what a coach is supposed to do. Probably the greatest blessing of his one year was the people he brought with him and surrounded himself with. Thank goodness he brought three great assistant coaches in and ultimately that gave us a great pool to look to internally. I want to thank him for that. That's very significant."
"Some of the people in the media or in my email box questioned our commitment to basketball because of what has transpired. Let me assure you, we've never waivered in our commitment to basketball or any sport at Oklahoma State University. Our commitment is if you're an athlete here or coach, we're going to give you an opportunity to dream big, win championships and make your dreams come true. As the athletic director, I owe that to every single student, student-athlete and every coach. Basketball is no exception. We have never waivered in our commitment and never will. We've got too much of a proud tradition, starting with Mr. Iba, right through Eddie Sutton to today. A lot of great players, lot of championships, the first two back-to-back, so no one should ever question our commitment."
"Let's talk a little bit about Mike Boynton and what attracted us to him. First of all, I've seen him for a year. He's a loving son. When he talked about his parents in that first interview we did, I couldn't help myself. I broke down and cried and that's what you like to see. Same thing about his wife. I love hearing him talk about his son, Ace, and his daughter, Zoe. She loves her father. Coaching is about family and creating that family atmosphere on your team. When you see it reflected first hand in your head coach and assistant coaches and their families, it makes you feel pretty good."
"What I'd ask from him is that he love his players like his sons and I think we'll get that. He's a leader. He'll talk about that extensively. It's one thing to talk the talk but it's another to walk the walk. I think he'll embody every single thing that he talks about that he holds dear to his heart. I think he's a teacher. I think a lot these players can attest to that. Jeff Carroll, you benefited from that this year. Davon Dillard, everybody. We're on a college campus. That's where teaching is supposed to happen, so I feel he's going to fit right in our basketball program. Basketball will just be another course taught at Oklahoma State University."
"I think he's going to change lives because of the man he is and what he stands for. I think he's going to teach kids to dream big and give them the skills to make those dreams come true. He embodies all the qualities that I hold dear in coaching. I think those qualities are timeless. They never change. I don't think they ever will. The game of basketball or football or any sport will evolve, but the principles that matter will be the same. We started here with Ed Gallagher and right through Mr. Iba, right through Eddie Sutton and I see it every single day. When I walk the halls of our arena or over in the West End Zone where our football coaches are, we're surrounded by greatness. We're surrounded by people who embody these qualities, and not just the coaching staffs but the support people. It takes a village to create greatness, raise a son, to make a difference in the world, and we've got a great village here."
"We've got a new leader, a new sheriff in town. So my message to you is, 'It's time to saddle up and ride for the brand and salute our new sheriff, Mike Boynton."
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Boynton
Opening Statement
"This is a pretty unbelievable day in a lot of ways. I'm 35 years old. I really did think I would be a head coach. I had no idea I would be the head coach at Oklahoma State University. Thank you. Thank you. There are a lot of people who get credit for me standing here today: President (Burns) Hargis, Mr. (Mike Holder) for giving me this appointment, the Board (of Regents), thank you guys. The City of Brooklyn that raised me, all of my friends I grew up with, my dad, my mom, my sisters. I didn't have a brother, but I've always had brothers."
"This is about people and real relationships, trust, respect, hard work. That's all I know. That's it. We succeed together with your help. We support one another, we push each other to our goals, we challenge each other to be better. There's a great opportunity here today and thanks to Brad (Underwood). He is part of the reason this is happening."
"This is about these guys, every one of them. They know that I care about them and I love them, they know that I will push them as hard as I can to make them better and they respect that about me. They let me coach them hard because they know that I care. Ten at night, six in the morning, they can call me for anything. Really, that's how we got here. This isn't about X's and O's, what plays I know. I know people. This is about building men; 18, 17 sometimes, to 23 and 24, and making a positive difference during that time."
"We have a tremendous administration here at Oklahoma State University. We get great support. I've gotten to know Mike Holder very well over the last week. He's not as bad as they say. He really is a funny guy in a lot of ways. He makes me feel like there's a lot that we have in common, even though we're from really different parts of the world. We do share a lot of values though; that it's about these guys, first and foremost, and that it's our job to help them achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Most of them want to play professional basketball, and we want to help them do that. We've got to help them understand what it takes to get there and provide them with the resources to make them better in getting there."
"Our staff is here for our players. Lamont Evans is somewhere in this room and he could just as easily be standing right here. He's a brother that I never had, a great friend and a tremendous coach and he will be standing here one day. I love him and he knows that. He will be staying with us as the Associate Head Coach at Oklahoma State University. That's my co-coach. I have a head coaching title. I don't want to say that doesn't mean anything, because it does. It was a goal of mine, but that isn't what this is about. Our players are here to get better, grow, develop, mature; go from irresponsible, questionable decision-making, immature, sometimes know-it-alls to guys that understand what life is about, and that's people. They've got to respect people. They've got to work their tails off every day to get better. Sometimes you don't want to get out of bed, but you've got to get out of bed and go to work because that's your responsibility. They need to learn that lesson. They need to do things that they don't necessarily feel comfortable with at times because it's the right thing to do, not the easy thing. It's my job to teach them that."
"They are also here to represent this university, in the classroom first by showing up every day and doing their work. They know my expectations in the classroom. On the court, giving everything they have; putting on that jersey and having pride that it says Oklahoma State University on the front of it. That's a privilege, not a right. There are several players for generations that paved the way for them: Reeves, Rutherford, Mason, Graham, Smart, Forte. Those guys gave blood, sweat and tears for these guys to do what they want to do. That's a big deal, a big responsibility. It's our job to relay that message to them every day. To play with passion and pride, to give everything they have every time they step on the court because they represent Cowboy Nation."
"Our players are here to be ambassadors for this university, to go out in the community and represent (the university) in a positive light, to give other people hope that it doesn't matter where you come from, how tall or short you are, how you look. You have an opportunity here at Oklahoma State. We care about each other here. They know they'll be held accountable in every facet of their lives here: socially, athletically and academically."
"The message to our fans is simple: this isn't about me, it's about (the players). The players need your support. I'll be okay, I'll be fine. I'm going to work my tail off like I always have my entire life and I'll figure this thing out as we go. Not that I don't know what I'm doing already, but I've never called a timeout in a game, but I'll figure out the time to do that and get that right. Our players need the support of our fans and our alums and our coaches. They aren't coming to support me. They need to come support these young men who give everything they have every day so that they can go back to wherever they work with pride that they went to this university, that they donated something to this university."
"We can only do this thing one way: together. That's it. Everybody pulling the same direction with each other: the fans, the team, alumni, boosters, administrators. We're going to get this thing done. We're going to win big because winning big is an expectation at Oklahoma State University. I told our players this last night. We had a good season. I'm no fan of good. I've got no interest in it. I want to be playing this weekend. I want to be great. I want to be nationally relevant because we can and we have. We can again and we will again. We've been to the Final Four, won national championships, have had great players, guys who played in the NBA. We'll do all of those things again, but we can only do it together. We will, all of us, together, get this figured out. As I told our guys, let's work. Let's work."
On the influence of Frank Martin and Brad Underwood
"Ironically I met Brad (Underwood) through Frank (Martin). Frank came into South Carolina in 2012 and I was on the staff that they had replaced. I learned a lot about him that year because he didn't owe me anything, but he gave me an opportunity to stay on at his program because he cared about me and my family. Subsequently, I learned a lot about Brad that year and we had conversations about a lot of different things. When he got his opportunity to be a head coach the following spring, I assume one of the first calls he made was to me to ask if I would join him. I won't go into too much detail about it. I didn't know where Stephen F. Austin was and had to explain to my wife that we were moving to Texas, but when we looked at a map we didn't find it in Austin, Texas. Brad and I developed a great working relationship. He's certainly a good friend and I wish him the best in his next destination."
On being a head coach at such a young age
"I've always wanted to be a coach. I'd always thought about being the youngest head coach in the country, but I never thought about coaching Oklahoma State at 35 years old. It just wasn't something that was in my mind, just to be honest. I do have some familiarity with this university though. In 1995, I was sitting in my living room at 13 years old, and at that time not every game was on TV. Not everything was covered, so we had actual breaking news. They went to the Final Four where they were talking about a guy that had broken a backboard during practice. It was such a big deal that I'd heard about it even in Brooklyn. It was "Big Country" (Bryant Reeves). That was my first time really hearing about Oklahoma State basketball. looking forward, again in 2004, I was a senior playing in the NCAA Tournament and we played in Kansas City, Missouri, which was the same place that Oklahoma State was playing. I've always had a idea that this is a nationally-relevant program. But I don't think about my age when it comes to this thing. I've worked really hard and every day when I wake up I think about working as hard as I possibly can. My message is to our guys that they can do the same things. I'm a walking, living example of hard work. And if you do that, you won't know when or how, but everything will work out for you."
On what he thinks sold the OSU Administration on hiring him
"My wife's going to laugh when I say this because I'm not sure she's ever seen me cry before. I'm not really that emotional of a person. I don't know where it came from to be honest with you. I think I'm just a genuine person and I'm just a normal person. I'm authentic and I care about people. I think that they thought that this team and this program needed that. I don't know if I'm any better of a coach than any of the candidates, but again I truly believe Lamont Evans could be standing up here in this position right now as well and I'm so glad he's staying with us. I'm committed to doing things the right way and caring about these guys everyday."
On why Lamont Evans is so valuable to him
"I don't even know where to start. He's an unbelievably hard worker. That's key. He's tremendously loyal, smart, knows basketball and for us it's about relationships. To have the opportunity, at my first head coaching position, to have someone who I'm so in line with philosophically gives me great comfort and I cannot thank him enough."
On coaching hires
"I don't have any others that I'm ready to announce and I don't really have a timetable. I want to hire the best staff I possibly can. This isn't about me. These guys will be co-coaches. They get to call me head coach, but Lamont is as every bit a head coach as I am and these guys I try to hire will be as qualified as either one of us. I just want to surround our guys with the best people possible to help them achieve their goals and the goals we set of our program."
On the importance of existing relationships
"I think it's better than not having those relationships, but I think the real key is the guys actually believe in me and that's because they know I'm actually invested in them as people first. That will give us a great place to start. I know a lot of their strengths and most of their weaknesses, so we'll be able to hit the ground running a bit quicker than someone coming from the outside and that will be an advantage."
On the schedule including a trip to Brooklyn
"I heard that a couple months back and I was really excited about it. But I will tell you since Friday when I got offered the job and accepted it, I haven't thought one second about scheduling. I probably should, but our players and our recruits and our former players are my priorities right now."
On the type of basketball the team will play under Mike Boynton
"The foundation of our program will be hard, tough, man-to-man defense and that'll be where we start. Offensively, we'll figure it out based on our talent each year and what guys are capable of doing. I fully expect to score a lot of points because we'll be able to recruit really talented guys here, but we'll be about defense."
On conversations with former head coach Brad Underwood since his departure
"I have not. I got a text from him on Friday when I got the job congratulating me and I sent him a text saying thanks. That's been the extent of our interaction."
On the potential of following Underwood before the OSU offer
"There's always a thought. I worked with him for four years, so naturally there's a thought of, 'I may not be coaching here and I have to make sure [my family is] OK,' but it never materialized and I'm thankful for that."
On relying on other head coaches at OSU
"Those guys can be invaluable to me. Several of them are in season now, but the type of people they are, they've already reached out to me. Unfortunately, when you're an assistant coach, you usually don't have other head coaches' phone numbers. I'm getting text messages and going through them and I say, 'oh, man, coach so-and-so texted me two days ago and I haven't even gotten back to him,' and I do apologize. They're a tremendous asset to me here and I certainly look forward to working with them. I'm a huge, huge baseball fan, and anyone who knows me, growing up in Brooklyn, I'm a huge Yankees fan. I've reached out to coach [Josh] Holliday in a hope to cheer on Matt [Holliday] someday soon together. I want to support all of the other sports and coaches here, too."
On what he needs to learn about being a head coach
"We'll find out here, soon. My main priority is making sure our players know what the expectations are and making sure we hit the road recruiting because now, time is of the essence. Those other things, we'll figure out later and I'm not sure I can pinpoint one specifically."
Jeffrey Carroll
On Coach Boynton
"How he came in and now he's the main guy is pretty great to see. A guy who's been here for year, and he knows the system and we know him and how he rolls. It's great for him to stick around for it to be smoother for us next year."
On the influence of Boynton's hire on his decision to turn professional
"It does. I still have some time to think about this and see where I really want to go."
On the hiring of Boynton
"I didn't know it would be done, and I'm glad it's done for us."
Lindy Waters
On Coach Boynton
"I was excited. Throughout the whole year he really pushed everyone on the team. He really brought out the best in everyone and he really knew how to connect with each and every person differently."
Mitchell Solomon
On Coach Boynton
"I was hoping he was going to get the job. So it's a huge weight off my shoulders just to have a coach again so we can start getting ready for next season."
On being a leader for next year
"Me and Jeff have both been here for a long time, so I think we'll definitely have some more in-depth conversations with him than in the past. Just about how our team is doing and different things, so I think we'll definitely have good relationship and be able to bounce things off each other and go from here."
On Coach Evans staying
"It's huge. Both of those coaches are some of my favorite coaches that I've had in a long time. Having them on the staff, they know us, they're going to already be ready to know what we need to work on, what we do well, stuff like that."
On the outcome
"I'm super excited. I can't be anymore thrilled start workouts again with coach and hit the ground running this summer."
"Welcome to a very exciting day here at Oklahoma State University. I'm pleased to participate in this announcement of the new basketball coach for Oklahoma State University, who will be introduced later. We rekindled something special this last year. I have every expectation that excitement is going to grow and be better than ever. Get your tickets now."
"I want to welcome his family, we're glad you're here. I want to thank the board of regents for their help in all this. I also want to thank Mike Holder, who worked very hard on this. He did a great job and with the valuable input of the committee recommended to me we hire Mike Boynton as our new men's basketball coach and I agreed with that decision. So now I would like to turn it over to Mike Holder to introduce Mike Boynton."
Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder
"It's great to see the players here. At the end of the day that's what it's all about. I look at you and I think about me at 17 years old when I first showed up on this campus. I never dreamed of what would happen. That day seemed like any other day. Looking back now, those four years were the best four years of my life. So it's wonderful to see you guys here."
"I've got a lot of people to thank today before I get into this. We have great leadership at our university. We're so blessed. We've got a great president, transformational president. He's seen more happen on our campus during his tenure than any other I can remember and I've been here a long time, so I probably have a little credibility. So thanks to Burns Hargis. I'd like to thank the regents for their support, and not only for what's happened in the last week, which was critical and crisis management, but as long as I've been here whether it be a golf coach or athletic director. We've got great leadership at this university."
"I'd also like to thank the fans. Very, very passionate. Trust me, I heard from them. My email box was full. You've got to have pretty thick skin sometimes with some of those emails, but I promise each and every one of you that felt strongly enough to send me your thoughts, I read every one. I responded to every one. They may have been short responses because I didn't have a lot of time but I wanted you to know I read every one of them and I appreciated the passion that you have, positive or negative. It doesn't matter. If you're going to build something special you have to have a product or something that inspires emotion and we've got plenty of that in our fan base and that tells me we can go to great heights."
"I'd also like to thank the students. Without the students we wouldn't have a job. You're our lifeblood. You're what we get up for every day, and to see you back in the building that's been very gratifying this year. You bring the energy. That's why everyone else comes in the building. Two things: players and students. That's what it's all about."
"I'd also like to thank Brad Underwood. Brad was only here a year, but he did a lot of positive things. He ignited the passion in our fan base and got them back in the arena. I saw a transformation in a lot of our players, which is what a coach is supposed to do. Probably the greatest blessing of his one year was the people he brought with him and surrounded himself with. Thank goodness he brought three great assistant coaches in and ultimately that gave us a great pool to look to internally. I want to thank him for that. That's very significant."
"Some of the people in the media or in my email box questioned our commitment to basketball because of what has transpired. Let me assure you, we've never waivered in our commitment to basketball or any sport at Oklahoma State University. Our commitment is if you're an athlete here or coach, we're going to give you an opportunity to dream big, win championships and make your dreams come true. As the athletic director, I owe that to every single student, student-athlete and every coach. Basketball is no exception. We have never waivered in our commitment and never will. We've got too much of a proud tradition, starting with Mr. Iba, right through Eddie Sutton to today. A lot of great players, lot of championships, the first two back-to-back, so no one should ever question our commitment."
"Let's talk a little bit about Mike Boynton and what attracted us to him. First of all, I've seen him for a year. He's a loving son. When he talked about his parents in that first interview we did, I couldn't help myself. I broke down and cried and that's what you like to see. Same thing about his wife. I love hearing him talk about his son, Ace, and his daughter, Zoe. She loves her father. Coaching is about family and creating that family atmosphere on your team. When you see it reflected first hand in your head coach and assistant coaches and their families, it makes you feel pretty good."
"What I'd ask from him is that he love his players like his sons and I think we'll get that. He's a leader. He'll talk about that extensively. It's one thing to talk the talk but it's another to walk the walk. I think he'll embody every single thing that he talks about that he holds dear to his heart. I think he's a teacher. I think a lot these players can attest to that. Jeff Carroll, you benefited from that this year. Davon Dillard, everybody. We're on a college campus. That's where teaching is supposed to happen, so I feel he's going to fit right in our basketball program. Basketball will just be another course taught at Oklahoma State University."
"I think he's going to change lives because of the man he is and what he stands for. I think he's going to teach kids to dream big and give them the skills to make those dreams come true. He embodies all the qualities that I hold dear in coaching. I think those qualities are timeless. They never change. I don't think they ever will. The game of basketball or football or any sport will evolve, but the principles that matter will be the same. We started here with Ed Gallagher and right through Mr. Iba, right through Eddie Sutton and I see it every single day. When I walk the halls of our arena or over in the West End Zone where our football coaches are, we're surrounded by greatness. We're surrounded by people who embody these qualities, and not just the coaching staffs but the support people. It takes a village to create greatness, raise a son, to make a difference in the world, and we've got a great village here."
"We've got a new leader, a new sheriff in town. So my message to you is, 'It's time to saddle up and ride for the brand and salute our new sheriff, Mike Boynton."
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Boynton
Opening Statement
"This is a pretty unbelievable day in a lot of ways. I'm 35 years old. I really did think I would be a head coach. I had no idea I would be the head coach at Oklahoma State University. Thank you. Thank you. There are a lot of people who get credit for me standing here today: President (Burns) Hargis, Mr. (Mike Holder) for giving me this appointment, the Board (of Regents), thank you guys. The City of Brooklyn that raised me, all of my friends I grew up with, my dad, my mom, my sisters. I didn't have a brother, but I've always had brothers."
"This is about people and real relationships, trust, respect, hard work. That's all I know. That's it. We succeed together with your help. We support one another, we push each other to our goals, we challenge each other to be better. There's a great opportunity here today and thanks to Brad (Underwood). He is part of the reason this is happening."
"This is about these guys, every one of them. They know that I care about them and I love them, they know that I will push them as hard as I can to make them better and they respect that about me. They let me coach them hard because they know that I care. Ten at night, six in the morning, they can call me for anything. Really, that's how we got here. This isn't about X's and O's, what plays I know. I know people. This is about building men; 18, 17 sometimes, to 23 and 24, and making a positive difference during that time."
"We have a tremendous administration here at Oklahoma State University. We get great support. I've gotten to know Mike Holder very well over the last week. He's not as bad as they say. He really is a funny guy in a lot of ways. He makes me feel like there's a lot that we have in common, even though we're from really different parts of the world. We do share a lot of values though; that it's about these guys, first and foremost, and that it's our job to help them achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Most of them want to play professional basketball, and we want to help them do that. We've got to help them understand what it takes to get there and provide them with the resources to make them better in getting there."
"Our staff is here for our players. Lamont Evans is somewhere in this room and he could just as easily be standing right here. He's a brother that I never had, a great friend and a tremendous coach and he will be standing here one day. I love him and he knows that. He will be staying with us as the Associate Head Coach at Oklahoma State University. That's my co-coach. I have a head coaching title. I don't want to say that doesn't mean anything, because it does. It was a goal of mine, but that isn't what this is about. Our players are here to get better, grow, develop, mature; go from irresponsible, questionable decision-making, immature, sometimes know-it-alls to guys that understand what life is about, and that's people. They've got to respect people. They've got to work their tails off every day to get better. Sometimes you don't want to get out of bed, but you've got to get out of bed and go to work because that's your responsibility. They need to learn that lesson. They need to do things that they don't necessarily feel comfortable with at times because it's the right thing to do, not the easy thing. It's my job to teach them that."
"They are also here to represent this university, in the classroom first by showing up every day and doing their work. They know my expectations in the classroom. On the court, giving everything they have; putting on that jersey and having pride that it says Oklahoma State University on the front of it. That's a privilege, not a right. There are several players for generations that paved the way for them: Reeves, Rutherford, Mason, Graham, Smart, Forte. Those guys gave blood, sweat and tears for these guys to do what they want to do. That's a big deal, a big responsibility. It's our job to relay that message to them every day. To play with passion and pride, to give everything they have every time they step on the court because they represent Cowboy Nation."
"Our players are here to be ambassadors for this university, to go out in the community and represent (the university) in a positive light, to give other people hope that it doesn't matter where you come from, how tall or short you are, how you look. You have an opportunity here at Oklahoma State. We care about each other here. They know they'll be held accountable in every facet of their lives here: socially, athletically and academically."
"The message to our fans is simple: this isn't about me, it's about (the players). The players need your support. I'll be okay, I'll be fine. I'm going to work my tail off like I always have my entire life and I'll figure this thing out as we go. Not that I don't know what I'm doing already, but I've never called a timeout in a game, but I'll figure out the time to do that and get that right. Our players need the support of our fans and our alums and our coaches. They aren't coming to support me. They need to come support these young men who give everything they have every day so that they can go back to wherever they work with pride that they went to this university, that they donated something to this university."
"We can only do this thing one way: together. That's it. Everybody pulling the same direction with each other: the fans, the team, alumni, boosters, administrators. We're going to get this thing done. We're going to win big because winning big is an expectation at Oklahoma State University. I told our players this last night. We had a good season. I'm no fan of good. I've got no interest in it. I want to be playing this weekend. I want to be great. I want to be nationally relevant because we can and we have. We can again and we will again. We've been to the Final Four, won national championships, have had great players, guys who played in the NBA. We'll do all of those things again, but we can only do it together. We will, all of us, together, get this figured out. As I told our guys, let's work. Let's work."
On the influence of Frank Martin and Brad Underwood
"Ironically I met Brad (Underwood) through Frank (Martin). Frank came into South Carolina in 2012 and I was on the staff that they had replaced. I learned a lot about him that year because he didn't owe me anything, but he gave me an opportunity to stay on at his program because he cared about me and my family. Subsequently, I learned a lot about Brad that year and we had conversations about a lot of different things. When he got his opportunity to be a head coach the following spring, I assume one of the first calls he made was to me to ask if I would join him. I won't go into too much detail about it. I didn't know where Stephen F. Austin was and had to explain to my wife that we were moving to Texas, but when we looked at a map we didn't find it in Austin, Texas. Brad and I developed a great working relationship. He's certainly a good friend and I wish him the best in his next destination."
On being a head coach at such a young age
"I've always wanted to be a coach. I'd always thought about being the youngest head coach in the country, but I never thought about coaching Oklahoma State at 35 years old. It just wasn't something that was in my mind, just to be honest. I do have some familiarity with this university though. In 1995, I was sitting in my living room at 13 years old, and at that time not every game was on TV. Not everything was covered, so we had actual breaking news. They went to the Final Four where they were talking about a guy that had broken a backboard during practice. It was such a big deal that I'd heard about it even in Brooklyn. It was "Big Country" (Bryant Reeves). That was my first time really hearing about Oklahoma State basketball. looking forward, again in 2004, I was a senior playing in the NCAA Tournament and we played in Kansas City, Missouri, which was the same place that Oklahoma State was playing. I've always had a idea that this is a nationally-relevant program. But I don't think about my age when it comes to this thing. I've worked really hard and every day when I wake up I think about working as hard as I possibly can. My message is to our guys that they can do the same things. I'm a walking, living example of hard work. And if you do that, you won't know when or how, but everything will work out for you."
On what he thinks sold the OSU Administration on hiring him
"My wife's going to laugh when I say this because I'm not sure she's ever seen me cry before. I'm not really that emotional of a person. I don't know where it came from to be honest with you. I think I'm just a genuine person and I'm just a normal person. I'm authentic and I care about people. I think that they thought that this team and this program needed that. I don't know if I'm any better of a coach than any of the candidates, but again I truly believe Lamont Evans could be standing up here in this position right now as well and I'm so glad he's staying with us. I'm committed to doing things the right way and caring about these guys everyday."
On why Lamont Evans is so valuable to him
"I don't even know where to start. He's an unbelievably hard worker. That's key. He's tremendously loyal, smart, knows basketball and for us it's about relationships. To have the opportunity, at my first head coaching position, to have someone who I'm so in line with philosophically gives me great comfort and I cannot thank him enough."
On coaching hires
"I don't have any others that I'm ready to announce and I don't really have a timetable. I want to hire the best staff I possibly can. This isn't about me. These guys will be co-coaches. They get to call me head coach, but Lamont is as every bit a head coach as I am and these guys I try to hire will be as qualified as either one of us. I just want to surround our guys with the best people possible to help them achieve their goals and the goals we set of our program."
On the importance of existing relationships
"I think it's better than not having those relationships, but I think the real key is the guys actually believe in me and that's because they know I'm actually invested in them as people first. That will give us a great place to start. I know a lot of their strengths and most of their weaknesses, so we'll be able to hit the ground running a bit quicker than someone coming from the outside and that will be an advantage."
On the schedule including a trip to Brooklyn
"I heard that a couple months back and I was really excited about it. But I will tell you since Friday when I got offered the job and accepted it, I haven't thought one second about scheduling. I probably should, but our players and our recruits and our former players are my priorities right now."
On the type of basketball the team will play under Mike Boynton
"The foundation of our program will be hard, tough, man-to-man defense and that'll be where we start. Offensively, we'll figure it out based on our talent each year and what guys are capable of doing. I fully expect to score a lot of points because we'll be able to recruit really talented guys here, but we'll be about defense."
On conversations with former head coach Brad Underwood since his departure
"I have not. I got a text from him on Friday when I got the job congratulating me and I sent him a text saying thanks. That's been the extent of our interaction."
On the potential of following Underwood before the OSU offer
"There's always a thought. I worked with him for four years, so naturally there's a thought of, 'I may not be coaching here and I have to make sure [my family is] OK,' but it never materialized and I'm thankful for that."
On relying on other head coaches at OSU
"Those guys can be invaluable to me. Several of them are in season now, but the type of people they are, they've already reached out to me. Unfortunately, when you're an assistant coach, you usually don't have other head coaches' phone numbers. I'm getting text messages and going through them and I say, 'oh, man, coach so-and-so texted me two days ago and I haven't even gotten back to him,' and I do apologize. They're a tremendous asset to me here and I certainly look forward to working with them. I'm a huge, huge baseball fan, and anyone who knows me, growing up in Brooklyn, I'm a huge Yankees fan. I've reached out to coach [Josh] Holliday in a hope to cheer on Matt [Holliday] someday soon together. I want to support all of the other sports and coaches here, too."
On what he needs to learn about being a head coach
"We'll find out here, soon. My main priority is making sure our players know what the expectations are and making sure we hit the road recruiting because now, time is of the essence. Those other things, we'll figure out later and I'm not sure I can pinpoint one specifically."
Jeffrey Carroll
On Coach Boynton
"How he came in and now he's the main guy is pretty great to see. A guy who's been here for year, and he knows the system and we know him and how he rolls. It's great for him to stick around for it to be smoother for us next year."
On the influence of Boynton's hire on his decision to turn professional
"It does. I still have some time to think about this and see where I really want to go."
On the hiring of Boynton
"I didn't know it would be done, and I'm glad it's done for us."
Lindy Waters
On Coach Boynton
"I was excited. Throughout the whole year he really pushed everyone on the team. He really brought out the best in everyone and he really knew how to connect with each and every person differently."
Mitchell Solomon
On Coach Boynton
"I was hoping he was going to get the job. So it's a huge weight off my shoulders just to have a coach again so we can start getting ready for next season."
On being a leader for next year
"Me and Jeff have both been here for a long time, so I think we'll definitely have some more in-depth conversations with him than in the past. Just about how our team is doing and different things, so I think we'll definitely have good relationship and be able to bounce things off each other and go from here."
On Coach Evans staying
"It's huge. Both of those coaches are some of my favorite coaches that I've had in a long time. Having them on the staff, they know us, they're going to already be ready to know what we need to work on, what we do well, stuff like that."
On the outcome
"I'm super excited. I can't be anymore thrilled start workouts again with coach and hit the ground running this summer."
Players Mentioned
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