Mike Gundy is one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football as he is entering his 21st season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Gundy has been able to bring a lot of excitement with a 169-88 career record, but 2024 was a disappointing season as it was his first losing year (3-9) since he first got the job in 2005 and his worst record.
With where the team is currently, there is a bit of dampered expectations. Gundy has already had his contract restructured heading into the 2025 college football season as he has a lower buyout, a succession plan in place, and no rollover provision. With this four-year contract beginning, it appears we are closer to the end of his tenure than the beginning. Let’s take a deeper dive into what he said at the Big 12 Media Day.
Mike Gundy Tempers Expectations for Oklahoma State
Mike Gundy has not been shy to share his feelings regarding his program and during the Big 12 Media Days, he addresssed how he has had teams that could have been considered some of the best in the country. However, the Cowboys are in a bit of a rebuilding process right now.
“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. We’ve played at 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.
“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 season.”
The NCAA Transfer Portal is where the team addressed some weaknesses this offseason and has recruited hard. However, that does not mean instant success is expected in the 2025 season.
“We were going to have to so-called rebuild anyway. We were prepared for that. The changes in how we go about rebuilding, whether it’s financially or roster management, have been challenging but also intriguing. It’s something new. It’s different than it’s ever been in my 21 years as a head coach.”
Oklahoma State is looking to get back into a bowl game after finishing 3-9 last season. They will be tested very early in the season with a Week 2 trip to Autzen Stadium to take on the Oregon Ducks. How will Mike Gundy and the Cowboys be able to do in 2025 and can they surprise people?
