'He's a Cowboy': Why Oklahoma State finally promoted Keiton Page to assistant coach

STILLWATER — Late in his senior season, Keiton Page found himself inside Gallagher-Iba Arena more than usual.

There were coaches’ meetings. There were scouting discussions.

Even though the Cowboys’ fan favorite was still a student-athlete, he was welcomed into the inner circle by head coach Travis Ford.

Page soaked in every moment.

“Some people see it as a negative — the amount of time,” Page said. “It’s literally 18 hours of the day you’re consumed with basketball and that’s what I’ve grown up loving.”

There was a big purpose, though.

It was all part of a plan that would keep Page on the OSU sidelines for well past the next decade.

Page — the sharp-shooting guard affectionately known as the “Pawnee Pistol” — was promoted to full-time assistant coach for the Cowboys earlier this summer.

“The answer has always been pretty quick and simple for me,” Page told The Oklahoman. “This place, obviously, I love. It’s home for me.”

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As the Cowboys prepare for an overseas preseason trip to Spain late next week, they’re looking to mesh together a new-look roster. Only three scholarship players return, leaving a ton of room for development.

Page, a steadying presence in his 16th season as a player or coach with the Cowboys, will also have a chance to grow.

“He wants to prove that he’s as good as anybody,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said. “He approaches his job with a chip on his shoulder just like I’m sure he did coming out as a small white kid from Pawnee, Oklahoma, going to Oklahoma State where people probably didn’t think he was good enough to do that.

“And he’s excelled every step of his life.”

But the journey since Page’s playing days required patience.

Page has worked for three different head coaches in various roles. He’s been the constant through change.

Page was a graduate assistant and later assistant director of strength and conditioning under Ford. Page was the assistant director of player development under Brad Underwood.

And Page was Boynton’s first hire in 2017, becoming the director of player development. He even became the unofficial director of operations after the position was eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Basically, name the position and Page has likely filled it in some capacity.

“Keiton has probably been deserving of this opportunity a couple times now when there’s been an opening,” Boynton said. “I’m thankful to him that he’s stuck it with me for these last six years doing every other job and not batting an eye.”

Those close to Page are far from surprised.

After all, this is the 5-foot-8 point guard who dazzled Oklahoma high school basketball fans around the state before becoming a fan favorite with the Cowboys.

And he loves Oklahoma State.

That’s what led him to this position at a school he hopes to never leave.

“I wouldn’t have any arguments against it,” Page said.

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Coaching in his blood

Keiton Page should have been a high school coach.

His grandfather Howard Ray was a legendary coach at Collinsville. Page’s father, David, won six state championships as a head coach at Pawnee and Yale. Page’s brother, Brady, was a player and assistant on those teams and is now the head coach at Hennessey.

Page’s father-in-law is Randy Upshaw, a longtime basketball coach at Mannford and Verdigris.

That was the profession all around him. It would have been easy to go on that path. Yet, Page wanted to be different. As a sophomore, he realized a basketball junkie could thrive in the college coaching environment.

“It’s awesome because Keiton’s finally getting to do what he wants to do,” said David, now retired but serving as Brady’s assistant coach.

Page did have high school coaching opportunities when he finished playing. Page instead opted to remain with the Cowboys and Travis Ford.

And much like he did as a young middle schooler determined to overcome his lack of size and play for OSU, Page set goals and never backed down.

His work ethic as a player carried over to coaching.

“If you’re not on the court actually practicing or playing, then you’re in the office watching film, talking basketball, talking recruiting, talking ways to make your team better,” he said. “Basketball (has) obviously done so much for me. I’ve seen so many places, got to travel, got to play here.

“My brother and dad were obviously huge basketball influences, but once I got ingrained in the college part of it and just saw how much your daily routine is all basketball, I fell in love with it early on.”

That allowed him to stick around through constant change.

He was often sent on the road to recruit when OSU had assistant coach openings. He ran Boynton’s summer camps. He did this and that as needed.

“I think everybody was rooting for Keiton to get this opportunity,” said Scott Sutton, a former OSU player and current assistant coach.

“He kept proving himself time and time again that he was the right guy to get this opportunity.”

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Working with Mike Boynton

Mike Boynton has a challenge for Keiton Page.

“I’m still looking forward to seeing him be able to recruit a guy that can shoot better than him,” Boynton said. “We’ve had a lot of guys try. They’ve all tried. No one’s beat him yet.”

The Cowboys certainly could use some 3-point shooting. They were one of the worst in the Big 12 last season.

“We need that,” Page said. “We got a couple on this roster that may push me.”

There is no better teacher on staff than Page. He made 299 with the Cowboys, which was a program record at the time of his graduation.

A year ago, Page and assistant David Cason developed shooting drills named after OSU greats to help improve from deep. More work was put in this summer.

But it’s not Page’s lone responsibility.

Page’s presence has boosted OSU’s success with in-state recruiting throughout Boynton’s tenure.

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Page knows nearly every high school coach in the state. He’s played against most in school basketball or AAU. If not, perhaps someone in his family has a connection.

“You can’t quantify it,” Boynton said about Page’s impact in Oklahoma recruiting. “It’s probably why I say we’re lucky because you can’t replace that — his presence in the state of Oklahoma.”

When players talk to Page, they see someone who has successfully risen from small-town Oklahoma to the highest college level.

And so far he’s remained at OSU, the school that loves him just as much as he adores it.

“He’s one of us,” Sutton said. “He’s a Cowboy.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State promoted life-long Cowboy Keiton Page to assistant coach