Oregon State said coach Wayne Tinkle will not return next season

Oregon State men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle will not return next season, the school announced Thursday.

Tinkle has been asked to sit out the season by the school and is expected to make a decision soon, athletic director Scott Burns told ESPN.

“We are grateful to Wayne for his dedication to Oregon State and his leadership of our men’s basketball program,” Barnes said in a statement. “He has represented the Beaver Nation with integrity and commitment. As we move into 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 remain focused on positioning our program for sustained success in a rapidly evolving college landscape.”

Tinkle led Oregon State in 12 seasons with a run to the Elite Eight in 2021. The Beavers finished the regular season with a 14-12 record but won the Pac-12 Tournament and upset Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Loyola Chicago en route to the Regional 2 final. That tournament run led to a lucrative four-year contract extension for Tinkle with one year still remaining.

Oregon State made another NCAA Tournament appearance during Tinkle’s tenure in Corvallis. Tingle is 176-204 in 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 spent the past two seasons playing in the West Coast Conference after 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.