Oregon State’s Wayne Tinkle on future: ‘I’m gonna do my job until they tell me to stop’

CORVALLIS, Ore. – There may be no more than a week left in the Oregon State men’s basketball season, depending on the Beavers’ progress at the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.

Wayne Tinkle knows people talk about what’s next. The Beavers, who upset Utah on Thursday 92-85, are 13-17, and unless there’s an unforeseeable run ahead, they’ll finish below .500 for a third consecutive year.

Oregon State’s roster is young, but promising. Name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities could enhance or derail the team’s progress next season. The Beavers are headed to the West Coast Conference, an intriguing opportunity for a program looking for a fresh start.

Which begs the question: Is Tinkle the man leading Oregon State into the future?

The 2023-24 season has been uneven. There’s progress in the win column, and a case could be made that, with a little more experience, the Beavers might be 17-13, not 13-17. But there have been some unsightly blowout losses, too.

In another era, Tinkle’s 10-year Oregon State tenure might be down to three more games. But the 58-year-old coach has three years and $8.7 million remaining on his contract. That’s a tough contract to write off as Oregon State mines sources for future dollars to run its athletics program due to the Pac-12’s demise.

Tinkle said he and athletic director Scott Barnes have regular conversations, and Barnes’ most recent thoughts were about progress, the players’ willingness to grind and trying to take care of business.

“I’m a guy that never coaches scared,” Tinkle said. “I’m gonna do my job until they tell me to stop. I know when we’ve had all the pieces we’ve done some incredible things.”

Tinkle, a graduate of Spokane’s Ferris High School, is asked how he would make a case that the program is making progress and that he’s the right coach for the job. Tinkle said, “We’re playing better basketball.” He points to games that have come down to two or three possessions “where a play there, a break down here, and that’s part of the growth process.”

Tinkle believes the Beavers, who could return their entire roster next season, will be tougher for the experience.

“Obviously, we’re judged on wins and losses. But you can see it,” he said.

Tinkle said he’s having fun this season. He knows the optics. If the record isn’t up to snuff, this must not be fun.

“From the outside looking in, you might not see the progress. But these guys are so much fun to coach. Individually, they’ve made strides,” Tinkle said. “It’s a great group. There’s not a day that I go, man, we’ve got to go practice. It’s the best part of our day when we’re here at the office.

“It’s been a grind, but I see progress. These guys inspire us and help motivate us to keep pushing them because of their attitudes and effort.”

The college coaching job has become increasingly difficult, with NIL demands, agents and the transfer portal. Tinkle understands few will have empathy – nor should they – for the coaches, as they’re well paid and no one is forcing them to take on the job.

Tinkle has empathy for the players in 2024.

“There’s COVID, the portal, and NIL and our league breakup. So, I’m proud of them for the grind that we’ve been going through and losing games, and losing close games. That they’re continuing to come back to work and stay together to try and make progress,” Tinkle said.

What Tinkle has on hand is a start for 2024-25 and beyond, but it’s not enough. Tinkle said they need to get more perimeter scoring, and an inside presence.

There is some help coming, as the current roster includes Nate Meithof, a 6-foot-5 wing who sat out this season with a torn ACL. Meithof was a junior college star who should add punch to OSU’s 3-point attack.

But to add to the roster – and keep players like Jordan Pope and Tyler Bilodeau at Oregon State – there must be movement on the NIL front. Tinkle seems optimistic help from Dam Nation, Oregon State’s collective, will become a useful tool this spring.

“It’s not where it needs to be, but I’m being told there’s some momentum there to get it going, so we can retain the guys we want, and then be able to go to get some pieces we think can help,” Tinkle said.

In the case of potentially losing Pope, who has proven to be one of the Pac-12’s top guards, it’s not just the threat of another school coming with a bountiful NIL offer. It’s professional basketball. With a more robust G League and NBA two-way contracts, Pope might be a target.

Tinkle said “it would be prudent” for Pope to test the NBA waters and get feedback.

“We’ll certainly help with that process,” Tinkle said. “And then, it’s hard to wrap your mind around it, but there’s his fair market value in college basketball. He’s going to have people trying to go and poach him. We’ve got to make sure that we do all we can to stay competitive with that.”

The 6-8 Bilodeau also figures to be an viable target for other programs. Tinkle said Bilodeau “loves Oregon State,” and playing in Corvallis is attractive as it’s close to his family’s home in Kennewick. Tinkle said it will be of interest to Bilodeau and Pope how OSU continues to improve its roster during the offseason.

That work will happen after Oregon State’s season ends, likely next week at the Pac-12 Tournament, where the Beavers will be the No. 12 seed. OSU closes out its conference schedule on Saturday against Colorado.

“Our whole deal was to try to win more games than we did a year ago, play better basketball and take a step forward. All those things we feel are still in front of us,” Tinkle said.