How Boynton’s Second Year Stacks Up With Other Coaches’ Second Seasons

The Duke Blue Devils finished the 1981-82 season 10-17. That was Mike Krzyzewski’s second season at Duke. He was 35.

Oklahoma State is 10-17 with at least five games left in Mike Boynton’s second season. Boynton is 37. So, Boynton and the Cowboys are well on their way to five national championships and a dozen conference crowns, right? Yeah, I’m not sure that’s the most scientific one-to-one comparison, but it shows this season doesn’t have to be the apocalypse of the OSU basketball program.

Before his time at Duke, Krzyzewski spent five seasons as Army’s head man, an experience Boynton didn’t have, going straight from assistant to head coach of a major program.

Here’s a look at how the current Big 12 coaches did in their second seasons at their current schools.

Coach	School	Year	Record	Winning Percentage
Bill Self	Kansas	2004-05	23-7	0.767
Chris Beard	Texas Tech	2017-18	27-10	0.730
Steve Prohm	Iowa State	2016-17	24-11	0.686
Bob Huggins	West Virginia	2008-09	23-12	0.657
Jamie Dixon	TCU	2017-18	21-12	0.636
Lon Kruger	Oklahoma	2012-13	20-12	0.625
Bruce Weber	Kansas State	2013-14	20-13	0.606
*Mike Boynton	Oklahoma State	2018-19	10-17	0.370
Shaka Smart	Texas	2016-17	11-22	0.333
Scott Drew	Baylor	2004-05	9-19	0.321

*With at least five games to go

Eighth out of 10 isn’t the greatest look, and that percentage has a chance to slide down with games to go. It also has a chance to go up, but at this point getting to .500 is next to impossible.

It’s also important to note that every other Big 12 coach had head coaching experience before landing at their current school. Here’s a look at those coaches’ second seasons as head coaches.

Coach (Current School)	Second-Year School	Year	Record	Winning Percentage
Bob Huggins (West Virginia)	Akron	1985-86	22-8	0.733
Shaka Smart (Texas)	VCU	2010-11	28-12	0.700
Jamie Dixon (TCU)	Pittsburgh	2004-05	20-9	0.690
Steve Prohm (Iowa State)	Murray State	2012-13	21-10	0.677
Bruce Weber (Kansas State)	Southern Illinois	1999-00	20-13	0.606
Chris Beard (Texas Tech)	Texas Tech	2016-17	18-14	0.563
Lon Kruger (Oklahoma)	UT-Rio Grande Valley	1983-84	13-14	0.481
*Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State)	Oklahoma State	2018-19	10-17	0.370
Bill Self (Kansas)	Oral Roberts	1994-95	10-17	0.370
Scott Drew (Baylor)	Baylor	2003-04	8-21	0.276

*With at least five games to go

Boynton stays in eighth, but he’s one of only four Big 12 coaches who spent their second season at major programs with Jamie Dixon, Chris Beard and Scott Drew. Those were Beard’s and Drew’s first year at their current schools, and second years as head coaches overall.

OSU has had 18 coaches make it to their second seasons. Here’s a look at how those have historically gone:

Coach	Second Year	Record	Winning Percentage
Eddie Sutton	1991-92	28-8	0.778
John Griffith	1916-17	11-4	0.733
Travis Ford	2009-10	22-11	0.667
Paul Hansen	1980-81	18-9	0.667
Henry Iba	1935-36	16-8	0.667
John Maulbetsch	1922-23	12-11	0.522
Sean Sutton	2007-08	17-16	0.515
Earl Pritchard	1918-19	5-5	0.500
William Schrieber	1909-10	3-3	0.500
Leonard Hamilton	1987-88	14-16	0.467
Jim Killingsworth	1978-79	12-15	0.444
George Rody	1930-31	7-9	0.438
Guy Strong	1974-75	10-16	0.385
*Mike Boynton	2018-19	10-17	0.370
Paul Davis	1912-13	3-6	0.333
Harold James	1932-33	5-12	0.294
James Pixlee	1920-21	2-9	0.182
Sam Aubrey	1971-72	4-22	0.154

*With at least five games to go

Again, not the most pristine spot for Boynton to be in, but it’s tough to draw overarching conclusions when teams are playing less than 15 games a season.

No one needed these charts to know this isn’t the greatest season in OSU’s history, but seeing Boynton be level with Bill Self’s second season as a head coach and Mike Krzyzewski’s second year at Duke also shows it doesn’t mean his career is doomed.