Mike Gundy enters his 21st season not as a legend on cruise, but as a coach who’s on the edge. Once a symbol of stability at Oklahoma State, his mullet now masks the fallout from a disastrous last season’s 3-9 overall, and the program’s first losing record in nearly two decades. Worst part even his job is at stake as CBS Sports ranks him the second-hottest seat in Power Five football, behind only rival Brent Venables. Now the biggest problem?
His team lacks an experienced QB, which leaves Gundy’s once-reliable system searching for answers. After two decades of building Oklahoma State into a Big 12 contender, Mike Gundy faces a critical juncture. A disastrous 0-9 conference mark overshadows his impressive record, including 18 bowl appearances and his status as a winningest coach. Now, even ESPN analysts Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel rank him low in the Big 12 rankings.
“I’m going to take Oklahoma State last because I just have no idea. Now look like would it surprise us if Mike Gundy’s in like the Big 12 title? No,” Pete Thamel said on ESPN College Football podcast. “But like right now they don’t have a quarterback. They don’t have a quarterback who, I believe, has thrown a forward pass in a college game. They have one returning starter on offense, a tight end. They have 10 new coaches.” Well, can we blame him? Oklahoma is still figuring out its QB situation between Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny, who just came in from TCU this offseason.
Back in that Orange and Black. Cowboys let’s ride. #saddleup @CowboyFB @CoachGundy @kjfbcoach @doug_meacham @KWright_7 @DStanfieldIAM @RecruitAledo @ocrobbyjones @Joe_Dickinson pic.twitter.com/lpgmeOM0tf
— Hauss Hejny (Hoss HAY-nee) (@HaussHejny) January 4, 2025
Look, both Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny didn’t take a single snap for the Cowboys. For two straight seasons, Flores didn’t see any game action in the team’s first because of his redshirt status and then because of a medical waiver. And even Hejny just played in 4 games where he rushed for 15 times for 65 yards last year in TCU. So, with everything at stake, Mike Gundy can’t gamble on an unproven troop. But then he got 60 new players into his roster and an entire new coaching staff.
And that unproven slate is creating more pressure on him. Even Pete Thamel highlighted the same and said, “So the entire thing is transfer portal. They got 50-60. Yeah. No, in the coach portal. I’ve never seen or heard that before. So, look, Mike Gundy usually gets the benefit of the doubt because he has two decades of really good work there, but I look at that and I’m like, I don’t see it.” That’s a straight fact. Mike Gundy dramatically overhauled his coaching staff, hiring coordinators Doug Meacham and Todd Grantham, who brought in their own assistants. Only special teams coach Sean Snyder remains from the previous regime. On top of that, he even had to part ways with long-time assistants Kasey Dunn and Tim Rattay.
On the field, the Cowboys are almost unrecognizable. Ranked 124th nationally in returning offensive production, they lost stars like Ollie Gordon and Brennan Presley, plus five starting offensive linemen. Only four starters return, leaving eight positions up for grabs. Top receiver De’Zhaun Stribling transferred, forcing a massive rebuild with 41 transfers, 18 high school recruits, and four junior college additions – 35 arriving after June 1st. Gundy admits he’s still getting to know the players, but remains confident, citing his 169 career wins and a coaching record unmatched in program history.
What’s even increasing the pressure on him is Mike Gundy’s restructured contract. Now, as per which his salary is reduced by $1 million, his buyout is smaller. So, it’s a do-or-die situation for him. Even Pete Thamel feels the same as he said, “Like I mean you don’t you don’t cut your coach’s salary and then lower his buyout because you like want him to be there five more years, right?” Pressure is surging but despite that Mike Gundy’s stand remains firm.
Mike Gundy remains unfazed by pressure
After a disappointing 2024 season, the university revised Gundy’s contract, eliminating the rollover clause, reducing the buyout, and adding a succession plan. Despite this, he starts his new four-year, $6.75 million annual deal with confidence. “One thing to remember is that I’ve been fortunate enough to be the head coach for now going on 21 years, and we’ve had 19 winning seasons in a row,” Gundy stated at Big 12 Media Days.
Now, he is making sure that he remains committed to the Cowboys, reminding everyone of their past success. “We’ve played a really high level of college football. For the majority of those years, we could have beaten any team in the country on any given day at any time,” Gundy said. However, he acknowledges the challenges of a rebuilding year in 2025: “We have to go through a little bit of a rebuilding phase this year. One, because we needed to upgrade in certain areas, and the other because we lost a large number of veteran players last year.”
With his past lowest win percentage and the specter of a winless season since 1991, Mike Gundy aims to change the team’s story. He’s banking on a top-50 recruiting class and a revamped roster. “It’s something new. It’s different than it’s ever been before in my 21 years as a head coach.” Gundy said. So, Oklahoma State opens against UT Martin on August 28th, but a crucial early test awaits: a trip to Autzen Stadium to face Oregon the following week. Now, let’s see if his confidence shows up in team performance or not.
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