Oklahoma State Adds Veteran Coach to Steve Lutz's Staff

Oklahoma State is adding some more coaching experience.

On Wednesday, OSU announced the hiring of assistant coach Lou Gudino. Over the past three seasons, Gudino has been an associate head coach at Ball State and was the most recent stop of his 28-year coaching career.

Gudino joins Steve Lutz’s staff as a defensive-minded coach who spent most of his time at Ball State working with the team’s big men. He also had a recent stop at Wichita State, where he was instrumental for the Shockers’ defense from 2018-22.

"I've known Lou for many years,” Lutz said. “He is one of the most prepared coaches in our profession and has helped elevate every program that he's been a part of. His eye for talent, knack for player development and deep basketball knowledge will make an immediate impact here. I'm thrilled to welcome him and his wife Dana to Stillwater and the Cowboy Basketball family."

Over this offseason, the Cowboys have looked to make as many moves as possible to put themselves in a position to compete in the Big 12 next season. Those moves have included some big additions through the transfer portal to replace some of the Cowboys’ key departures in the offseason.

With big-time scoring talents such as Anthony Roy making their way to Stillwater for next season, OSU is looking to flip the script on its 2024-25 campaign. Last season, scoring was an issue for OSU, particularly during Big 12 play. While Lutz came to Stillwater with an emphasis on his team needing to play defense at a high level, it was clear that to win in the Big 12 that his team needs much more offense.

With an added emphasis on offensive talent this offseason, Gudino can help Lutz maintain that same level of defensive intensity. While there is no doubt that this upcoming OSU team should be able to score in bunches, ensuring the Cowboys get stops is just as critical to the team’s success.

Gudino should be able to join Lutz’s staff and become one of the most important figures on the team with his track record defensively.