Oregon State says coach Wayne Tinkle will not return next season


Oregon State men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle will not return next season, the school announced Thursday.

The school asked Tinkle to finish the season and is expected to make a decision soon, athletic director Scott Barnes told ESPN.

“We are grateful to Wayne for his dedication to the state of Oregon and the leadership he has provided to our men's basketball program,” Barnes said in a statement. “He has represented Beaver Nation with integrity and commitment. As we approach the dawn of the new Pac-12 era, we believe it is in the best interest of our men's basketball program to transition to its next chapter. These decisions are never easy, but we are focused on positioning our program for sustained success in a rapidly evolving college athletics landscape.”

Tinkle was at the helm for 12 seasons, highlighted by Oregon State's run to the Elite Eight in 2021. The Beavers finished the regular season with a 14-12 record, but won the Pac-12 tournament and defeated Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Loyola Chicago en route to the regional final as a 12th seed. That tournament resulted in a lucrative four-year contract extension for Tinkle with one year remaining.

Oregon State made another NCAA tournament appearance during Tinkle's tenure in Corvallis. Tinkle is 176-204 during his 12 seasons with the Beavers.

Before taking over at Oregon State, Tinkle was the head coach at Montana for eight years, leading the Grizzlies to two Big Sky regular season titles and three NCAA tournament appearances.

Oregon State, which has spent the last two seasons playing in the West Coast Conference after the collapse of the old Pac-12, will return to a full Pac-12 schedule next season. The Beavers will be joined in the new league by Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State.

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