Mike Gundy's future hangs by a thread after disappointing season
- Mike Gundy's contract has been restructured following a disappointing 3-9 season.
- The Oklahoma State administration praised Gundy's long history of success and decided not to terminate him despite the poor season.
- The Cowboys have made significant coaching changes, including parting ways with both offensive and defensive coordinators.
In December 2024, Mike Gundy, the head coach of Oklahoma State University's football team, reached an agreement for a restructured contract following a challenging season where the team ended with a 3-9 record. The university's administration publicly acknowledged Gundy's long-standing contributions to the program, emphasizing that the new contract would favor not just Gundy but also the university and its student-athletes. The public announcement of the contract details is pending its finalization, illustrating the university's effort to maintain stability amid recent performance struggles. Oklahoma State University's Board of Regents met to discuss Gundy’s position, reflecting the gravity of the team's poor performance this past season. Despite a series of disappointing results and Gundy's contentious remarks regarding critics of the program, the board decided against immediate termination. Gundy's tenure includes an impressive 169 wins over two decades, which has afforded him a degree of protection due to his historical success even while the 2024 season marked one of the team's poorest outputs. The coaching changes follow a season that saw Jerry Gundy reporting a significant drop in his team’s performance, particularly on defense, where they ranked last in the Big 12 for points allowed and total yards per game. In response to such results, the Cowboys parted ways with offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo. Dunn served as the offensive coordinator for several seasons and oversaw standout player Ollie Gordon II, who had previously won the Doak Walker Award. Nardo, a more recent hire, had challenges with injuries affecting key defensive players this season. Gundy's responses to criticism have been controversial; he has called out detractors who he believes are not taking care of their personal responsibilities. This indicates a deeper issue within the university's football culture that Gundy now must navigate post-restructuring of his contract. The dedication to maintain Gundy as head coach highlights a broader struggle within college sports, where financial pressures increasingly dictate coaching tenures and team performance outcomes. The coming months will be critical for Gundy, the administration, and the performance of the Cowboys as they seek to recover from a season of setbacks.