Oklahoma State hires Stephen F. Austin's Brad Underwood
After leading Stephen F. Austin to the Southland Conference title and NCAA tournament in three straight seasons, Brad Underwood is moving on to the Big 12.
Oklahoma State announced Monday night that it has hired Underwood as its new head coach. Underwood, whose third season at Stephen F. Austin ended Sunday when the Lumberjacks lost in the final seconds to Notre Dame in the Round of 32, replaces Travis Ford, who officially parted ways with Oklahoma State on Friday.
Underwood, who played collegiately at Kansas State, had an 89-14 record in his three seasons at SFA and was the first coach to ever win the Southland Conference Coach of the Year award three years in a row.
"I named three things that I was looking for in the new head basketball coach at Oklahoma State: character, coaching style and fit," Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder said. "Brad Underwood gets the highest marks in each of those categories. He played in the Big Eight for Jack Hartman, a disciple of Henry Iba. He has coached and recruited in the Big 12, and has been very successful as a head coach in one of our prime recruiting grounds in the state of Texas. K-State is a sister institution with Oklahoma State in a lot of ways, so anyone who graduates from there and lives in Manhattan is probably going to connect quickly with our fans and our people. And as for character, everyone around him speaks of him as the great friend, father and person he is. In my opinion, Brad Underwood is going to be a great fit for Oklahoma State."
In addition to three league titles, Underwood also coached the Lumberjacks to two notable NCAA tournament upsets: over fifth-seeded VCU in 2014 and last week over No. 3 seed West Virginia. Before his time at Stephen F. Austin, Underwood served as an assistant at Kansas State, South Carolina and Western Illinois. He also previously had stints as a head coach at Daytona Beach Community College and Dodge City Community College.
"There's not enough adjectives to describe how excited I am for the opportunity to coach where some of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball have cut their teeth," Underwood said. "Oklahoma State has unparalleled tradition, history and culture. The fan support, the noise and the home court advantage is what I remember most about Gallagher-Iba Arena, and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of that now. I played in Gallagher-Iba back in the Big Eight days, and then going back as an opposing coach, I can tell you that it's one of the best venues in the nation. We're going to have a lot of fun, and I'm excited as heck about the opportunity to get to know the community of Stillwater, and the OSU family."
Oklahoma State reached the NCAA tournament in three straight seasons from 2013-2015, but took a step back this season, finishing 12-20 overall with a 3-15 mark in Big 12 play.
Underwood will be introduced in Stillwater on Wednesday.
In a release confirming Underwood’s departure, Stephen F. Austin athletic director Robert Hill expressed gratitude for his tenure in Nacogdoches.
“There is no question Brad has elevated our men’s basketball program, athletic department and University to a national brand,” said Hill. “We will always be indebted to him for what he was able to accomplish. He engrained himself into the community and campus and there is no place he isn’t admired and well liked. I expect to see him accepting a national championship trophy before he completes his career. We wish him only the best.”
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