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OSU Hoops: Pastrana Hire Made Official, Replaces Kontaxis on Roster

Boynton talks about his newest assistant and what he brings to the Cowboys.

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Mike Boynton has a new assistant in Erik Pastrana, confirming reports from last week.

Pastrana, who was an assistant at Florida Atlantic this past season, coached alongside Boynton under Brad Underwood at Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks were 89-14 while Pastrana was on campus, winning three straight conference titles and two NCAA Tournament games. SFA was also 53-1 in Southland Conference play during that time.

“I am beyond excited to be able to add Erik to our staff,” Boynton said in the release. “Erik and I worked together for three years and helped to take a strong program to new heights. I would put his ability to evaluate talent and connect with young people at the very highest levels of our profession. He has a relentless work ethic and has experienced a great deal of success throughout his time in college basketball. Erik knows our region really well, but also has the ability to help us continue to expand our reach as a program. I look forward to having him on board to help us in our pursuit of sustained excellence.”

Along with reports of Pastrana’s hiring came reports of him replacing David Kontaxis on Boynton’s staff. Kontaxis is no longer listed on OSU’s roster, but Pastrana is with John Cooper and Scott Sutton as the Cowboys’ other assistants.

Kontaxis served as a primary recruiter of the eastern United States while at OSU. He had roots in the AAU scene on the east coast, working with DC Assault (Washington D.C.) and Team Loaded (Virginia/North Carolina). Kontaxis’ relationship with 2020 five-star prospect Isaiah Todd helped get Todd to Stillwater on a pair of visits.

Pastrana too has experience on the AAU scene. Pastrana has spent time coaching the Florida Rams and KC Run GMC.

Along with FAU and SFA, Pastrana has coached at Kansas State (graduate assistant), Labette Community College (assistant), Northwest Florida State College (assistant), Florida International (assistant) and Daytona State College (head coach).

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Mike Boynton’s staff at Oklahoma State,” Pastrana said in the release. “OSU is a tradition-rich program that I came to admire during my time at K-State. Just as importantly, I’ll be joining a head coach that I have the utmost respect for. Mike and I built a special relationship during our run at SFA, and I look forward to continuing the progress this great program has made in his tenure.”

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