Oregon State Beavers Men’s Hoops History Update

OSU hoops has won 14 conference championships and made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances

Posted on May 8, 2023


  By SuperWest Sports Staff

In this series of updates on the history of SuperWest hoops program, we provide a brief coaching summary, list of the current coaches, along with postseason results, conference titles, award winners, and all-time coaching records.

The Oregon State men’s basketball program, established in 1901, has won 14 conference championships (counting two in the Northwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1909 and 1912) and has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 18 times.

The Beavers have advanced to the Final Four twice (in 1949 and 1963), and in their 2021 NCAA appearance, they advanced to the Elite Eight after winning their first tournament games since 1982.

OSU basketball first took flight with the hiring of Slats Gill in 1928. Gill, for whom the school’s Coliseum is named, remains the winningest coach in program history with 599 wins to 393 losses.

Gill won five conference championships, taking the Beavers to six NCAA Tournaments, including two Final Four appearances. Gill became the Oregon State athletic director upon retiring.

Oregon State coaching great Slats Gill | OSU Athletics

After six years under Gill assistant Paul Valenti, Oregon State continued its winning ways with Ralph Miller, who was hired away from Iowa in 1970.

In his 19-year career in Corvallis, Miller compiled a record of 359-198 (though 17 of those wins were later vacated) with only two losing seasons in that span.

Miller directed OSU to eight NCAA Tournaments, three of which were also vacated, along with an Elite Eight appearance.

Former OSU coach Ralph Miller | Oregon State Athletics

His 1980-81 “Orange Express” team was ranked No. 1 in the polls for eight weeks, finishing with a 26-2 record and earning Miller the UPI and AP Coach of the Year honors.

Miller remains the second-winningest coach in school history.

Wayne Tinkle assumed the reins in 2014 and has compiled a 116-137 record to date, including six .500-or-better seasons in his eight-year tenure.

In 2020-21, Tinkle’s team won the Pac-12 Tournament after going 10-10 in conference play, making a magical run to the Elite Eight.

The performance led to a three-year contract extension worth up to $3 million per year. However, the Beavers fell back to earth in 2021-22, posting a disappointing 3-27 mark.

Tinkle’s Beavers improved in 2022-23, but still posted a losing mark, going 11-21 record and missing postseason play.

Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)

Gill Coliseum


Current Coaching Staff
Current Head Coach: Wayne Tinkle (2014-present)
Associate Head Coach: Eric Reveno (2022-present)
Assistant: Marlon Stewart (2018-present)
Assistant: Tim Shelton (2022-present) 
Director of Basketball Operations: Ryan Lawrence (2021-present)
Directory of Player Development: Stephen Thompson (2014-present)

Postseason Results
National Championships: 0
Final Four Appearances: 2 (1949, 1963)
Sweet Sixteen Appearances: 6 (1955, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1975, 2021) **
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 15 (1947, 1949, 1955, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2016, 2021) **
NCAA Tournament Overall Record: 13-18 **
NIT Championships: 0
NIT Appearances: 4 (1979, 1983, 1987, 2005)
NIT Overall Record: 3-4
CBI Championships: 1 (2009)
CBI Appearances: 4 (2009. 2010, 2012, 2014)
CBI Overall Record: 7-4

Conference Titles (PCC through Pac-12)
Pac-12 Regular Season Championships: 12 (1916, 1933, 1947, 1949, 1955, 1958, 1966, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1990)
Pac-12 Tournament Championships: 1 (2021)

Annual Award Winners
Naismith Player of the Year: 0
John R. Wooden Award: 0
Oscar Robertson Trophy: 0
AP All-Americans: 6 (Gary Payton, 1990; A.C. Green, 1985; Lester Conner, 1982; Steve Johnson, 1981; Ray Blume, 1980; Mel Counts, 1964)
Pac-12 Player of the Year: 5 (Gary Payton, 1990)

Oregon State Head Coaching Records

CoachTenureRecordConf
Titles
NCAA
Trips
NCAA
Titles
Wayne Tinkle2014-Pres127-158020
Craig Robinson2008-201494-105000
Kevin Mouton (int)2007-20080-13000
Jay John2002-200772-97000
Ritchie McKay2000-200222-37000
Eddie Payne1995-200052-88000
Jim Anderson1989-199579-90110
Ralph Miller1970-1989342-198450
Paul Valenti1960, 1964-197091-82110
Slats Gill1928-1964599-393560
Robert Hager1922-1928115-530——
R.B. Rutherford1920-192227-190——
H.W. Hargiss1918-192010-250——
Howard Ray1917-191815-00——
Everett May1916-191711-70——
Doc Stewart1911-191667-331——
Clifford Reed1910-19113-5———
Emmett Angell1908-191019-8———
Roy Heater1907-19087-4———
Zopher Thorne19042-2———
J.W. Viggers19032-1———
W.O. Trine1902-190740-5———
J.B. Patterson1901-19021-2———



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