Oregon State says coach Wayne Tinkle won’t return next season

oregon state Men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle will not return next season, the school announced Thursday.

Athletic director Scott Barnes told ESPN that the school has asked Tinkle to finish the season and expects to make a decision soon.

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

Tinkle was at the helm for 12 seasons, highlighted by Oregon State reaching 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 to reach the regional finals as a 12-seed. That tournament resulted in a lucrative four-year contract extension for Tinkle, with one year still remaining.

Oregon State made one more 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 following the collapse of the old Pac-12, will return to a full Pac-12 schedule next season. The Beavers will join Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State in the new-look league.