Oklahoma State hires Brad Underwood as its new basketball coach

Oklahoma State has hired Stephen F. Austin coach Brad Underwood as its new head men's basketball coach, the university announced Monday.

Underwood will be formally introduced at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Gallagher-Iba Arena, according to a release.

The 52-year-old finished his third season at SFA by taking the Lumberjacks to the Round of 32 for a second time. In three seasons, Underwood has posted a 89-14 overall record with a 53-1 mark in the Southland Conference. The Lumberjacks have won three Southland Conference championships and two NCAA Tournament games under his tutelage. Underwood was twice named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year.

Underwood replaces Travis Ford, who "mutually agreed to part ways" with OSU last Friday. OSU will owe Ford $2.4 million per year, to be paid out monthly during the next three years. If Ford were to find another job, the athletic department would only have to pay the difference.

Underwood was hired by SFA after nearly 25 years as an assistant with stops at Western Illinois (1992-2003), Kansas State (2006-12) and South Carolina (2012-13). At his alma mater, K-State, he worked with Bob Huggins and Frank Martin. Underwood was a candidate for the Iowa State job last summer after Fred Hoiberg left for the Chicago Bulls.

Underwood's Oklahoma ties include playing at K-State for Jack Hartman, who played under Henry Iba. He also was an assistant at Western Illinois under Jim Kerwin, a former Stillwater High coach and Oklahoma assistant.

Updates to come...