After two decades of mullets and keeping Oklahoma State relevant, Mike Gundy’s seat is scorching hot. A disastrous 3-9 season in 2024, his worst ever, has put the longtime head coach in serious jeopardy. The whispers in Stillwater have become loud debates about whether it’s time for a change. Once on the cusp of the playoffs, Gundy now faces a daunting $31 million question: Can he turn things around and save his job?
This is the outcome of OSU’s disastrous season, Gundy’s worst in 20 years. The Board of Regents even held a special meeting on December 6 to discuss his future, fueling dismissal rumors. While firing him never gained momentum, the meeting—with input from Weiberg and OSU president Kayse Shrum—led to a December 7 renegotiation session, resulting in the revised contract. Notably, the buyout decreased from a percentage-based scale, previously exceeding $25 million, to a flat $15 million through 2027, then dropping to $10 million in 2028.
With these adjustments, Gundy is now in the first year of a four-year contract worth $6.875 million, with annual raises of $125k until the contract concludes after the 2028 season. But with last season’s inconsistency, there’s another reason, too, why Mike Gundy has to face such a high dip. And OSU’s insider Cody Stovall points straight at it on Locked On Oklahoma State: “If you look at the connecting of the dots surrounding the board of regents and all of the people that were inside the program that essentially were kind of helping Mike Gundy and working around the board of regents to secure his new contract and the fact that Chad Weiberg’s not been renewing a new contract.”
That’s a straight fact—Dr. Kason Shrum has resigned from the university, and Chris Young, who didn’t even have direct ties to Mike Gundy, was also removed. On top of that, several other admin figures have either been pushed out or retired, all pointing back to the instability swirling around the board of regents. And to make things worse, Gundy now has to be a part of fundraising and donor engagement responsibilities. It also includes provisions for succession planning. On top of that, the contract has a smaller buyout, a $1 million annual pay cut, and the removal of the automatic rollover clause that previously ensured him a rolling five-year deal.
But this decision didn’t come out of the blue. It happened after Gundy’s November comments, where he criticized “weak” fans who “want to point the finger and blame other people” and claimed they are “the same ones that can’t pay their bills.” These remarks angered fans and donors as programs geared up for the $20.5 million revenue-sharing model. So, lack of backing and the pressure of expectations are what’s making things tough for him. Despite that, he’s making sure the team heads towards a successful season.
That’s right. Mike Gundy went straight to the portal and got 41 new transfers, and even their 2026 class looks stacked with talented players. “Oklahoma Super 30 just kind of came back out. It’s fun to look at the list, right? You still see the Tajh Overtons, the Kaydin Batman Jones, the Trey McGlothins, the Aiden Martins, and the Carter Langenderfers; all of the top players in the state of Oklahoma are pretty much committed to Oklahoma State,” Stovall said. So, it’s not like players don’t trust Gundy’s caliber.
But it all comes down to the bottom line that this season he needs to make an instant impact; otherwise, he might have to say goodbye to his job at Oklahoma State. And Stovall didn’t mince words before hitting him with a tough reality check. “This is a crucial season for Mike Gundy because if he does go backwards, I don’t think that there’s a lot of the powers that be that are in the buildings in Stillwater, America, that have the same pull to kind of keep people off of Mike Gundy’s tail.”
But that is just one of Gundy’s concerns.
Mike Gundy’s QB1 decision is still underwater
Oklahoma State’s quarterback battle continues with just 16 days until their season opener. According to sources, Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores are still splitting first-team reps in practice. Flores, a third-year player yet to see game action, is competing with Hejny, a TCU transfer and former four-star recruit who had limited playing time last year. As the Cowboys prepare to face UT Martin on Aug. 28 and then travel to Oregon on Sept. 6, it’s possible both quarterbacks could see action in the first game.
While Flores is known for his passing, Hejny has familiarity with quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns, who previously recruited him. Head coach Mike Gundy has acknowledged that the competition is very close. “Can’t put a timeline on it until I know when it will happen,” Gundy said. “I don’t know that. We could very well end up playing two in the first game. … We’re learning about them as much as they’re learning the system. I think they’re well-coached and they’re performing and competing. It’s unfair for me to say after four practices which direction we would go.”
Oklahoma State’s quarterback situation may be uncertain, but sources say the team feels confident about its wide receiver corps. The Cowboys have strengthened the group with the addition of Nebraska’s Jaylen Lloyd, Auburn’s Sam Jackson, Purdue’s Shamar Rigby, and Division II star Cam Abshire. With the return of Talyn Shettron and Da’Wain Lofton, the team believes it will have plenty of options in the passing game, regardless of who is under center.
Even defensively, the key transfer is already making waves. South Carolina EDGE Wendell Gregory has impressed in fall camp with his size and explosiveness. Described as a “beast” to On3, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Gregory is expected to be a major contributor to the Cowboys’ defense in 2025. Now, with a chip on his shoulder and a buyout that’s dripping fast, let’s see if Mike Gundy can turn his fate this season or not!
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