Oklahoma State football has decided to fire its head coach, Mike Gundy, after 21 seasons. The university will owe the 58-year-old, who has been the second-longest tenured FBS head coach, a $15 million buyout, per ESPN. His dismissal comes after the Cowboys fell to 1-2 in a 19-12 loss to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane last Friday.
The Cowboys conceded a 69-3 loss to Oregon earlier this season. The defeat marked the biggest loss for the Cowboys in Gundy’s tenure as coach. This was also the biggest losing margin for them in more than a century.
What does Gundy’s firing mean for the Cowboys?
With 1-2 this season, now the Cowboys will have to find Gundy’s replacement. Having fired their head coach this early into the season, the Cowboys have an adequate time to find a new leader.
However, as this will be the Cowboys’ second coaching change this century, the new appointment will be vital. Speculation about Gundy’s future at Oklahoma State football had already grown since the Cowboys’ defeat to Tulsa.
According to CBS Sports, Gundy lost 11 of his last 12 games since finishing 10-4 to bring an end to the 2023 campaign. Even after the defeat to Tulsa, he seemed confident about being with the program beyond the 2025 season.
Monday news conference
“I’m under contract, here, for I think 3½ years. When I was hired here to take this job, ever since that day, I’ve put my heart and soul into this and I will continue to do that until at some point, if I say I don’t want to do it or if somebody else says we don’t want you to do it,” Gundy said during Monday’s news conference.
Gundy set a record of 170-90 from 2005 to 2025, resulting in a rapid transformation of Oklahoma State football, per ESPN. The program will next be up against the Baylor Bears on Saturday, September 27.