Steve Lutz reflects on relationship with Darian DeVries, facing each other: ‘I want to kick his you-know-what’

Steve Lutz saw a familiar face Saturday when his Oklahoma State team took on West Virginia and coach Darian DeVries. The two coaches were once colleagues at Creighton from 2010-17, but now faced each other as opponents as both are in their first year at their respective Big 12 schools.

DeVries and the Mountaineers got the better of Lutz’s Cowboys in a 69-50 victory at home. But after the game, Lutz had nothing but good things to say about his former co-worker whom he still considers a friend.

“I’m proud of him,” Lutz said. “No matter wins or losses, we’re always gonna be friends. I expect great things from him and I’m sure he thinks the same and feels the same way about me and my family. I’ve never been a hater in my life. I want him to succeed, except when we play one another, I want to kick his you-know-what.”

DeVries is off to a bit better of a start in his first season at WVU, which is currently 11-2 (2-0 Big 12). Lutz, on the other hand, has OSU at 8-5 (0-2 Big 12).

The Cowboys got down big early and trailed by double digits the entirety of the second half in the loss. Marchellus Avery led the team with 15 points off the bench while Abou Osumane chipped in another 14.

Despite the way the game went, Steve Lutz couldn’t help but reminisce about how far both he and Darian DeVries have come since their time together at Creighton. He also takes pride in the face that they were a part of building the program to where it is now as a regular contender to make the NCAA Tournament out of the Big East.

“We started in 2010 together in the Missouri Valley and went from the Missouri Valley to the Big East,” Lutz said. “That program, he’s gotta be thrilled to death and extremely proud about the fact of where it is, as am I. We were a part of that group that helped that program move to the next level and is now playing at a very, very high level. So you take pride in all of that stuff, but it doesn’t make you feel any better when you get your butt beat today.”

Oklahoma State will look to get back in the win column when it faces Kansas State on Tuesday.