OSU formally introduces new men's hoops coach

CORVALLIS – At 6-foot-11, Wayne Tinkle has the distinction of being the tallest men's basketball coach in Oregon State history.

But can he turn around a program that has produced just two winning seasons in the past 24 years and hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 1990, Gary Payton's senior year?

Tinkle, who was formally introduced as the school's 21st men's basketball coach Wednesday during a press conference at Gill Coliseum, faces a daunting challenge.

Craig Robinson was fired May 6 after a six-year stint that included four appearances in the College Basketball Invitational, a fringe postseason tournament. The Beavers were 94-105 overall and 39-69 in Pac-12 play under President Barack Obama's brother-in-law.

OSU loses its top five scorers from last season's 16-16 squad and returns just one starter — junior guard Langston Morris-Walker who averaged 4 points per game.

"Many people tried to talk about the challenges, what a tough job this is," said Tinkle, 48, who was head coach at Montana the past eight years. "And I quickly asked, 'Tell me where there's an easy job in the game of basketball?' We see opportunity where there may be obstacles to others."

Tinkle was a standout forward at Montana, and as head coach led his alma mater to three Big Sky regular season championships, two Big Sky Tournament championships, and three NCAA tournaments, including back-to-back March Madness appearances in 2012-13. He had a career mark of 158-91.

Tinkle faces a major rebuilding job at OSU. He met with returning players Tuesday night.

"I think everyone can't wait to get on the court," said sophomore guard Malcolm Duvivier, who attended the press conference with junior forward Olaf Schaftenaar and Morris-Walker. "We all have a chip on our shoulder, so I just think everyone's ready to get on the court and prove what we can really achieve."

OSU likely will be picked to finish at the bottom of the Pac-12 next season along with Washington State.

So what attracted Tinkle to the challenge at OSU?

"The biggest factor in it all is it was an unbelievable place to work," Tinkle said. "There's been (coaching) opportunities in the past few years, but they didn't have everything that I feel Oregon State has and the town of Corvallis."

Tinkle said he has reached out to the incoming recruiting class and has commitments from guards Gary Payton II, a transfer from Salt Lake Community College, and Chai Baker.

Former UCLA coach Ben Howland, former Portland Trail Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire — now an assistant coach at Arizona — and Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins were rumored to be candidates for the job. The name of former OSU standout Lester Conner, an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, also surfaced.

"In the end it was clear to me, to our (search) committee, and (OSU) president Ed Ray, that coach Tinkle was the right man to take Oregon State men's basketball forward," athletic director Bob De Carolis said.

Tinkle said he likes an up-tempo style and will give players freedom on the offensive end, "if they're getting stops and rebounding the ball and being physical defensively."

Tinkle plans to embrace a rich basketball tradition at OSU that once was a national power under former coaches Slats Gill and Ralph Miller.

"Times were different back then," Tinkle said. "So much has changed, but they need to know who was here and what they did and what they stood for in the good years. They need to honor that."

Since coach Jim Anderson's NCAA tournament team in 1990 — four of his last five teams had losing records — Eddie Payne, Ritchie McKay, Jay John and Robinson were unable to right the ship.

Part of the problem has been an inability to bring the state's most talented high school players to Corvallis, a trend Tinkle plans to change. Brian Jackson of Knappa was probably the most decorated in-state player to sign with OSU in the past 15 years.

"If you don't have players from your area that have grown up watching Beaver basketball and bleed black and orange and buy in," Tinkle said, "it's hard to get everybody that your bring into your circle to buy into that. So that's where it starts."

Tinkle may not have the name recognition to energize a fan base that last season produced the lowest home attendance figure (67,077) in the 65-year history of Gill Coliseum.

He joked that even his current players might have said, 'Wayne who?' at first.

So what will bring the fans back?

"Besides just win consistently?" Tinkle said with a smile. "I really think we need to go after the student body. I think you have to give them a reason to go."

Ultimately, Tinkle's success or failure will come down to the talent level he brings to OSU. There are no quick fixes.

Terms of Tinkle's contract have not been finalized, De Carolis said.

"We base our program on character, on discipline, toughness and togetherness," Tinkle said. "You'll hear those words spoken often and we don't compromise in any of those areas."

ghorowitz@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6726

The Tinkle file

Who: Wayne Tinkle, men's basketball coach at Oregon State

Age: 48

Of note: Had a 159-91 overall record at the University of Montana. Led the Grizzlies to Big Sky regular-season titles in 2010, 2012 and 2013, and three NCAA tournament appearances. Played college basketball at Montana and had a 12-year professional playing career in the CBA, Sweden, Spain, Italy and Greece.

Family: Wife, Lisa; daughters, Joslyn and Elleson; son, Tres.