Mike Gundy Has Been Fired by Oklahoma State
STILLWATER - A two-decade run for Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State has come to an end.
Gundy has been fired by Oklahoma State, according to multiple reports. The decision comes days after the Cowboys lost 19-12 to Tulsa to fall to 1-2 on the season.
Gundy is the winningest coach in Oklahoma State history, but the team is off to a poor start in 2025 after going 3-9 last year and not winning a single Big 12 game. The three-win season was Gundy’s worst ever with his alma mater and only his second losing campaign since the Cowboys went 4-7 in his first year in 2005.
The 58-year-old Gundy was in his 21st season as the head coach at Oklahoma State. He played quarterback for the school from 1986-1989 and then went right into coaching with the program. Gundy was an assistant coach with the Cowboys from 1990-1995 and then had brief stints as an assistant at Baylor and Maryland before returning to Oklahoma State as offensive coordinator in 2001. He was promoted to head coach in 2005.
Gundy finishes with a record of 170-90 at Oklahoma State. He was 12-6 in bowl games.
There was speculation that Gundy might be fired following Oklahoma State’s embarrassing loss to Oregon in Week 2, but some believed the school would give him more time to figure things out.
“Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy’s leadership,” OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg said. “I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football.”
From 1986-89, Gundy quarterbacked some of OSU’s most explosive offenses. He finished his playing career as the Big Eight Conference career passing leader. As head coach, he led the Cowboys to the best era of sustained success in program history, highlighted by a Big 12 championship in 2011, five New Year’s Six bowl appearances and eight 10-win seasons. His 170 career coaching victories are 108 more than any other coach in school history.
“College football has changed drastically in the last few years, and the investment needed to compete at the highest level has never been more important,” Weiberg said. “As we search for the next head coach of Cowboy Football, we are looking for someone who can lead our program in this new era. It is also important that we continue to support our student athletes, our staff and our university through the season, and I hope that our fans continue to show that support in Boone Pickens Stadium this fall.
“Moving forward, it is critical for our fans, alumni and donors to align behind Cowboy Football,” Weiberg said. “This is a pivotal moment, the stakes have never been higher and we need everyone on board.”
“This is a decision about what’s best for our football program, our student-athletes and Oklahoma State University and it reflects our unwavering commitment to championship-level football and competing for national success,” said OSU President Jim Hess. “Coach Gundy dedicated decades of his life to OSU, achieving significant success and positively impacting hundreds of young men who wore the OSU uniform. His contributions to our university, both as a player and coach, deserve our profound respect and will not be forgotten. We are grateful for his service and wish him and his family the very best.”
The landscape of college football has changed dramatically in the NIL era. Gundy has expressed frustration with the current state of the game and proposed a radical idea that he believes would help fix it.
Gundy isn’t a big fan of the new revenue sharing era of college athletics and made that opinion known in recent years. Despite his stance, he still wants to coach, according to his brother Cale.
Cale Gundy was asked by Brett McMurphy of On3 whether or not his older brother wanted to continue to coach, and his answer didn’t disappoint.
“Hell yes and I’m going with him,” Cale Gundy told McMurphy.
Time will tell if Gundy will find the right fit. But despite going 4–11 in his final 15 games with the Cowboys, let’s hope Gundy can find the right fit for his future endeavors.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys enter into the Big 12 Conference play this Saturday against the Baylor Bears.
The Baylor Bears are 2-2 on the season with wins over Samford and #17 SMU.
The game will be played at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater at 2:30 p.m. with interim Head Coach Doug Meacham coaching for the Cowboys.
The game will be televised on ESPN2.
