BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — After just one season, Western Kentucky University (WKU) men's basketball coach Steve Lutz is resigning to accept the same position at Oklahoma State. 

WKU Athletics said a national search for Lutz's successor is underway. 

"I wish Steve Lutz and his family all the best on their next journey at Oklahoma State," said Western Kentucky Director of Athletics Todd Stewart. "While he was only here one season, Steve's dedication and work ethic certainly made it a memorable one, and we are in a much better place today than a year ago."

"I have met with our players and assistant coaching staff. We have known this outcome was a possibility and have begun the process of identifying our next head coach. Our goals of winning conference championships and playing in NCAA Tournaments remain."

The Hilltoppers went 22-12 in 2023-24 while winning the Conference USA Tournament. WKU made its first NCAA Division I tournament since 2012-13, falling 87-69 to No. 2-seeded Marquette on March 22 in the first round.

The program's 44 all-time conference championships are third-most in college basketball, according to WKU Athletics. The Hilltoppers also have the seventh-most 20-win seasons in NCAA Division I history with 48.

Lutz, 51, takes over an Oklahoma State team that went 12-20 in 2023-24. He has a 69-35 career record and comes off three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with WKU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2022 and 2023). He previously served as an assistant for Purdue and Creighton.