‘I get it’: Mike Gundy unfazed by pressure as grizzled Oklahoma State coach stares down make-or-break season

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FRISCO, Texas — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy doesn’t feel pressure. That’s a young man’s game. 

“I felt pressure probably like Years 2, 3 or 4 because I was a young coach without a second contract,” Gundy told CBS Sports. “I can’t remember who said it, but he had a $2 bet on a putt and only had a dollar in his pocket. That’s a lot of pressure.” 

Gundy is now heading into Year 21, a tenure that trails only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz in the FBS. The grizzled ball coach is no longer 40 — he’s nearing 60. And, for the first time, his seat is seriously warming. According to CBS Sports’ annual Hot Seat Rankings released this week, Gundy is on the second-hottest seat in Power Four football, ironically only behind Bedlam rival Brent Venables. 

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Oklahoma State’s run of 18 consecutive winning seasons snapped in 2024 as the program finished dead last in the Big 12. The Cowboys went 3-9 and 0-9 in conference play. Prior to the disastrous campaign, Gundy’s only losing season in Stillwater happened in Year 1. The Cowboys were picked No. 3 in the preseason poll; it’s partially their fault the conference did away with it. 

“When we would lose a game by a point or two to a team ranked eighth in the country and everybody’s mad, I told the staff, you all created this monster,” Gundy said. “They think you’re supposed to win every game. They think you’re supposed to have a good year. They think you’re supposed to be in a bowl game and be ranked. 

“It’s now become human nature. That’s what we wanted and y’all created it. Now we’ve got to feed it.”

After the season, Oklahoma State pushed Gundy to sign a renegotiated contract. The new deal involved a $1 million salary reduction and smaller buyout, along with the elimination of the rollover clause that made it a perpetual contract. The lessened $1 million will be earmarked for revenue sharing instead. 

Making matters worse, the program shares almost zero DNA from its days of Big 12 contention. Almost every assistant coach is brand new. Coordinators Sonny Cumbie and Todd Grantham both wanted to bring in their own assistants, so special teams coach Sean Snyder is the only returner. Gundy said he tried to approach coordinators that would retain staff, but he wasn’t interested. Program mainstays like receivers coach Kasey Dunn and quarterbacks coach Tim Rattay are out the door. 

Despite finishing winless in Big 12 play, the Cowboys rank No. 124 in returning offensive production. Running back Ollie Gordon, receiver Brennan Presley and five starters on the offensive line are gone. Only four total starters are back on the roster, and at least eight position battles are still open. Top receiver De’Zhaun Stribling also opted to transfer. 

“The core values in what we are hanging our hat on hasn’t changed,” Gundy said. “The interesting side of it is going to be, how will that look in August with 65 new players? I’m not gonna hide that, I don’t have any idea right now.” 

Additionally, Oklahoma State brought in 41 transfers, 18 high school prospects and four JUCO players, completely reimagining their roster. Gundy says 35 players didn’t arrive on campus until June 1. He’s still learning the faces of many of the new additions to the program. 

Mike Gundy’s career record at Oklahoma State 🏈

But, regardless of what happens, Gundy is fine. He has 169 career wins. No. 2 on the OSU list is Pat Jones, his college coach, who only has 62. Gundy has eight of the 11 10-win seasons in program history. He was the starting quarterback on two others. Mike Gundy has nothing to prove. 

“It doesn’t affect me just from a standpoint that I’m so far along in my career, I get it,” Gundy said. “If someone says, ‘hey, we need to change the coach at Oklahoma State,’ then I go coach somewhere else.” 

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