Lutz, Hoyt Praise Morris’ Fast Start in What Could Be Historic Crossover Season Between Football, Hoops

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STILLWATER — Oklahoma State basketball coach Steve Lutz started his press conference last week, his first official one since preseason practices began, praising the start of the Eric Morris Era.

“This is my third season, we’ve not been in this position as an athletic department,” Lutz said. “Football’s 2-1, obviously, kind of knocking on the door of the Top 25, and there’s a lot of momentum on campus. And then, you know, I think that women’s basketball is going to have a fantastic year. I think we’re going to have a fantastic year, and then obviously wrestling as well.”

Wrestling coach David Taylor has more than proved his program has what it takes over the last two seasons, and Cowgirl coach Jacie Hoyt’s program took two big steps forward last season, starting with her first NCAA Tournament win followed by the nation’s No. 1 portal class.

Just in case anyone living under a rock missed it, the football team did in fact enter the AP Top 25 for the first time in two years. Lutz thinks all of this matters not just for those teams, but his own.

“Eric Morris has been a fantastic ambassador for athletics, but (also as) just a partner in helping fundraise and helping promote all the different athletic teams,” he said. “So it’s been fantastic. So you know you love to see them doing well. And we need, as I said, we need football to do well.”

On Tuesday, Hoyt took time to answer questions about her own program. At the very end, she was asked about football’s successful start.​

“I love it,” Hoyt said. “I’m so excited for Coach. He, I think, is the real, real deal. And I’ve, I thought that before they played a game. But I just think he’s so perfect for Oklahoma State and the culture and what we’re about here. Blue-collar, genuine, down to earth, gritty. We just saw that in West Virginia.”

Hoyt added that she asked to attend some of Morris’ team meetings ahead of the season. It sounds like that experience sold her on this team’s bright future before they ever took the field.

“I love learning and just figuring out ways that I can be better,” Hoyt said. “And I sat in that meeting, and they hadn’t played yet, but I just knew this guy is special. He’s really, really good. He’s sharp. He’s concise. He’s confident. His players clearly loved him, and so I’m not surprised at all about what he’s doing right now. I’m so happy for him, and I think he has brought the excitement to Stillwater that we were all really needing and craving.”