Underwood Adds Boynton To Cowboy Basketball Coaching Staff

Oklahoma State basketball coach Brad Underwood has announced the hiring of Mike Boynton Jr. as an assistant on his coaching staff.

Boynton spent the last three seasons with Underwood at Stephen F. Austin, where he helped the Lumberjacks rack up a total of 89 wins, which are tied for the most by any coaching staff in its first three campaigns.

“Mike Boynton will be an asset to this Oklahoma State basketball program,” Underwood said. “Mike was a terrific player in New York City and had a great career at the University of South Carolina. When we came on board at South Carolina I got a chance to really get to know Mike, and when I got the job at Stephen F. Austin it was such a natural fit for him to join me there. Since then, we have developed a tremendous friendship. I have a ton of respect for the job he does with our student-athletes both on and off the court. He’s extremely bright, and has recruiting experience all over the country. I’m excited that he’s joining us in Stillwater.”

Last season, Boynton helped the Lumberjacks win 28 games, including a first-round upset of No. 2 seed West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. The magical season capped of a run of success at SFA that included three straight Southland Conference titles, a 53-1 record in league play, three SLC Player of the Year awards and three SLC Coach of the Year awards.

Boynton played a vital part in the Lumberjacks' success upon his arrival in 2013-14, which included a 32-3 overall record, 18-0 Southland Conference mark, SLC regular season and tournament titles, NCAA Tournament second round victory over fifth-seeded VCU and berth in the third round against fourth-seeded UCLA.

Boynton's second season with the Lumberjacks yielded similar results. SFA posted a 29-5 overall record and came within a win of sweeping conference play for the second-straight season. The squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round as a No. 12 seed for the second-consecutive season, where it faced off against fifth-seeded Utah.

Boynton came to SFA after spending four years as an assistant coach the University of South Carolina, including the 2012-13 season with Underwood.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to join Brad at Oklahoma State,” Boynton said. “Brad is a man of great character and he has an unbelievable passion for the game of basketball. I have learned so much over the past three seasons working by his side. I look forward to bringing excitement and pride to the great alumni and fans of Oklahoma State University.”

Boynton was a four-year letterwinner for the Gamecocks from 2001 to 2004 and served as the associate head coach for the Wofford Terriers prior to joining the South Carolina staff for the 2008-09 season.

While on staff in Columbia, Boynton helped lead the Gamecocks to three wins over national Top-Five opponents, including an upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky in 2009-10 and wins over then-No. 2 Michigan State and then-No. 2 Ohio State in 2010-11 while fielding one of the youngest teams in the country.

He also had a part in South Carolina landing one of its best recruiting classes in recent history in the summer of 2010, bringing in a class ranked No. 17 in the country according to Scout.com, No. 22 in the Rivals.com rankings and No. 25 class according to ESPN.com.

In 2008-09 Boynton helped South Carolina earn double-digit SEC victories for the first time since the 1998 season and earned the SEC Eastern Division Co-Championship. The Gamecocks had previously reached double-digit victories just three times in their 20-year history competing in the SEC. Additionally, South Carolina's 21 wins that year marked its first 20-win season since the 2005-06 campaign.

Prior to South Carolina, Boynton spent a year as the associate head coach at Wofford where the Terriers finished the 2007-08 season 16-16 overall and 8-12 in Southern Conference play. The Terriers' 16 wins were the most since the 1994-95 season and the most since moving to the NCAA Division I level.

Boynton worked as an assistant at Coastal Carolina for two seasons prior to his stint at Wofford. In his two years at Coastal, the Chanticleers went 35-25 overall, including a 20-win season in 2005-06.

As a four-year player at South Carolina, Boynton played in 125 career games, which ranks fourth all-time. He also finished in the top 10 in career 3-pointers made and 3-pointers attempted. He ranks in the top 10 in single-season starts and minutes played and led the Gamecocks to the NCAA Tournament as a senior, starting 32 games and averaging 9.9 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game.

Boynton graduated from South Carolina with a degree in African-American studies. He was also awarded the Southeastern Conference's Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship for his community service work.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Boynton attended Bishop Loughlin High School, where he earned first-team All-New York City honors after leading his team to a 24-4 mark and a berth in the city semifinals. He was inducted into the Bishop Loughlin High School Athletic Hall of Fame in the spring of 2011.

Boynton is married to the former Jenny Hill, and the two have a son, Ace, and a daughter, Zoe.

Boynton’s hiring at OSU is pending a standard human resources background check.

The Mike Boynton File
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Alma Mater: South Carolina, ‘03
Spouse: Jenny
Children: Ace and Zoe
Playing Experience: South Carolina (2001-04)

Coaching Resume
Oklahoma State: Assistant Coach (2016-Present)

Stephen F. Austin: Assistant Coach (2013-16)
South Carolina: Assistant Coach (2008-13)
Wofford: Associate Head Coach (2007-08)
Coastal Carolina: Assistant Coach (2005-07)
Furman: Graduate Manager (2004-05)