Canzano: Wayne Tinkle sounds off on integrity, his dismisal, and the cost of business
Exclusive interview with Oregon State coach.
Wayne Tinkle joined me for an exclusive interview on Monday to talk about his firing, his legacy at Oregon State, and why he decided to finish this basketball season.
Tinkle was informed last week that he will not be returning next season. Athletic Director Scott Barnes gave his coach the option to finish this season. OSU is seeded No. 4 in the WCC Tournament.
Said Tinkle: “We want to finish higher than that. But when we’re funded seventh or eighth in the WCC, and we finish fifth and fourth, I think that’s a pretty good return on investment.”
Tinkle is 175-205 in 12 seasons in Corvallis. He took a team to the Elite Eight in 2021. It was a magical run. He also had seasons of 5-27 and 3-28.
“I’m not going to dodge it,” he told me on Monday, “we had a couple of brutal years.”
Tinkle confirmed his revenue-share figure at OSU was a touch over $2 million this season. He said Oregon State needs to boost that figure to $4 million to compete in the new-world Pac-12.
Watch the exclusive interview on YouTube:
Tinkle talked candidly about his players, this year’s team, rebuilding the roster, revenue sharing, the challenges in Corvallis, and his desire to keep coaching college basketball. He said he’d like to help get his son, Tres, into coaching.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Tinkle said. “I’ll find another place and make sure I get those things done. That’s what we’re about. We’ve built winners wherever we’re at… I’m very confident we’ll do it again at our next stop… I’ve got too much fire in the belly.”
It remains baffling how OSU is so underfunded. They still are the biggest athletic program, along with WSU, in both the WCC and new PAC-12. Something stinks in Denmark, and I fear things will not get righted until change is made at the top. Barnes not allowing Tinkle to finish the season and then part ways with class, is a black mark on the University, while he didn't always have the best results he always carried himself with class and dignity and deserved better.
Uh, 175 -205 over 12 years is not building a winner. And what about all those years before NIL and the transfer portal?
Nice guy. Bad coach.
The funding isn't going to cut it for any coach though. OSU is only funding football at $4 mil. Where is all the money going and how do the other WCC and future Pac 12 schools find the money to fund their progras at a higher level? They don't even have the $125 mil OSU got from the former members. The numbers just don't add up.