So, let me tell you about this wild ride that was Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State football team, especially what went down recently. The last time we spotted Gundy was at a press conference in Boulder, Colorado. He was sitting there, looking like he just got punched in the gut, trying to explain how everything went so sideways that season. And let’s be real, it was the worst loss of his entire coaching career.
When asked about his plans for the offseason, Gundy was like, “It’s a different challenge, but we won’t change.” I mean, it sounds strong, right? But let’s be honest—what happened next was a complete 180.
The guy totally flipped the script. He cleaned house! I’m talking about every primary assistant coach on staff, both coordinators, and all those position coaches he’d been with—gone, just like that. It’s quite a transformation for a coach who, just a year ago, was known for having a consistent staff. But college football is like a rollercoaster; if you don’t hold on tight and buckle up, you could be thrown off the ride.
Now, here’s the kicker: Gundy had some solid coaches on his side, like running backs coach John Wozniak and linebackers coach Joe Bob Clements. These guys knew their stuff! But last season, as a collective unit, the coaches just couldn’t figure it out. I mean, they had injuries, sure, but they still had enough talent to snag wins against teams like West Virginia, Baylor, and TCU. Instead, they were losing by double digits! Oof!
Change was simply inevitable. Gundy’s always been a change-maker—he was the guy who figured out how to signal in plays faster using giant poster boards. Remember when OSU tried to slap QR codes on helmets linking fans to NIL donation pages? Classic “Gundy thinking outside the box.” But there’s a flip side. Sometimes, he clung to what worked in the past and resisted some new ideas, especially regarding the whole NIL movement.
So there he was in December, calling it his hardest month, letting coaches go left and right. He didn’t want to shake up their lives, but he knew he needed to take the leap. And sure, some folks might say he felt pressured to make these moves—after all, a season with a dismal 3-9 record can raise eyebrows.
But here’s the thing: even though it looked like he was cornered, Gundy had the power to decide who stayed and who went. He could’ve held onto some position coaches. But no—this time, he allowed his new coordinators, Todd Grantham and Doug Meacham, to bring in their own people. It was a refreshing shift for a guy who usually kept everything pretty tight-knit and familiar.
“Why?” you ask. Well, Gundy realized that if the coordinators could hire coaches who already spoke their language and understood their systems, it would speed up the transition and help everyone get on the same page a whole lot quicker. Seems like a smart move, right?
But man, talk about a massive risk. I mean, after 18 years of steady success with consecutive winning seasons and bowl trips, it’s tempting to cling to what you know. However, when things go south like they did, sometimes it’s time to shake things up.
Now, the million-dollar question: will all this change lead to success again? Who knows! That’s the beauty of college football. It’s unpredictable and wild. Gundy and the Cowboys have taken a new direction, and their path is still foggy. But hey, after the tumultuous last season, it had to be done. Let’s hope they find a brighter future ahead