Mike Gundy shaped Oklahoma State's modern identity -- now it's time for a new one

Oklahoma State paid the price for Mike Gundy's comments about Oregon football spending, drawing a spotlight to the back-and-forth between coaches that eventually showcased a 69-3 runaway win for the Dan Lanning and the No. 6 Ducks. 

It is a historic loss. Oklahoma State had not yielded that many points in a game since 1996. It had not lost by such a wide margin since 1907 -- the same year Oklahoma became a state. 

How much of a motivating factor Gundy's comments -- which suggested that Oregon's success was tied intimately to financial investment -- were to the players on the field is up for debate. But it meant enough to Oregon to play clips of Gundy press conferences in the pregame intro video. He allowed himself to become a villain for this nonconference matchup, and Ducks fans delighted in watching the home team open up a blowout win with quick-strike touchdowns and a 38-point lead at halftime. 

Gundy's words have gotten him in hot water before, but that was usually with fans or boosters with the damage limited to his own reputation. Since Gundy doesn't seem to care what other people think and so often delivered on-field results that warranted support, he's been able to escape the moments of peak job pressure. 

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Now, especially in the wake of Saturday's showing in Eugene, it seems highly unlikely that Gundy can win his way out of this jam. 

Gundy's legacy

Oklahoma State has been forever changed by Gundy's tenure. He is the program's winningest coach and responsible for setting a standard of sustained success in Stillwater. Coaches before Gundy had experienced success at Oklahoma State before, but those who did rarely stuck around or were able to keep it going for long. Mike Gundy had the Cowboys in 18 straight bowl seasons when prior to his hire the school had just 16 bowl appearances all-time. 

But an on-field regression in results and off-field bristling with boosters has brought Oklahoma State to a pivot point regarding the future of its program. The school can hang on to the Mike Gundy era as a way of showing appreciation for the work he has done, but doing so could also reverse much of the progress that has changed the way Oklahoma State is viewed across the national landscape. 

It's going to be tough because there are emotions at play with a man who has given so much to Oklahoma State football. Between his time as a player, assistant and head coach Gundy has spent 35 years of his life representing the program. No one knows Oklahoma State football on a deeper level than Gundy, and while athletic directors and university presidents have come and gone he has been the constant. 

Yet there comes a point for the school's current leadership to make tough decisions as to whether Gundy is still the coach to lead Oklahoma State football in a new era. Their job as leaders is to ensure that the school's most revenue-generating sport is in a healthy spot, and the rapid decay that appears to be happening does not point to a program moving in the right direction. There is a "love you, mean it" exit plan, where Oklahoma State can thank Gundy for re-establishing what Cowboys football can be before the memories of double-digit win seasons fade away with time. 

Hot seat getting hotter 

The pressure is already on Mike Gundy by virtue of a restructured contract that was agreed upon after a 3-9 season in 2024. The rolling five-year deal that he received after finishing with 12 wins and a top-10 finish in 2021 was re-worked to have a concrete end date (2028), a reduction in salary and new buyout terms. In other words, that "lifetime contract" that followed nearly making the College Football Playoff was gone. Oklahoma State needed to put some pressure on Gundy to deliver results, or face certain terms for the end of his storied career. 

Gundy acknowledged that things needed to change with his own decision making, totally overhauling the coaching staff with moves that included parting ways with several long-time assistants. But on Saturday all that turnover did not seem to help Oklahoma State on the field in a tough road environment against the Ducks. When communication failures and execution issues are piled on top of an obvious talent deficit, something that also points back to a coach's inability to thrive in a new era, it's going to be tough to see the bounce back that we've come to expect from Gundy. 

Legend becomes a liability

The longtime Oklahoma State coach has been a fighter throughout his career, and down years have often been followed by strong bounce backs. He's gone head-to-head with boosters before, even enduring stand-offs with the late mega-booster T. Boone Pickens. But this feels different, because what was on display in Eugene on Saturday and throughout last season's 0-9 run through Big 12 play, was a team that was so obviously inferior it warranted a reassessment of expectations. You can't bet on Mike Gundy bouncing back "because he's Mike Gundy." Now, having Mike Gundy as a head coach looks like a liability for Oklahoma State. He's not fielding a team that's competitive, and he's not helping that group to succeed by kicking the hornets nest with his comments during the week. 

Mike Gundy's entire identity is Oklahoma State football, but that doesn't mean that Oklahoma State football has to be tied to Mike Gundy. He has raised the floor and ceiling for a program that had been a bit player throughout much of college football history, but if the Cowboys remain tied to the past for too long they risk no longer being a consistently competitive program. 

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Maybe Gundy is right and Oklahoma State needs an influx of investment to avoid results like Saturday's loss at Oregon, but the catch there is that a segment of supporters have already made their mind up on the head coach, in part because of his own comments. The only way to unify Oklahoma State behind Gundy is with the on-field wins that have been an elixir to those off-field woes in years' past. In the wake of a 69-3 defeat, it's tough to imagine those victories are coming.