Matthew Emmons – USA TODAY Sports
On paper, Mike Gundy is the perfect man to lead the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He played his college football at OSU and became a local legend, only to return as a coach to rejuvenate the program and make them nationally relevant.
It seems like the perfect pairing of coach to school which should create a positive working relationship until Gundy is ready to retire, right? Maybe not. Because despite the “perfect” pairing of Gundy and his alma mater, the time may have come for the two sides to part ways.
According to rumors circulating online, Gundy will be coaching his final game at Oklahoma State this weekend in Bedlam against the Oklahoma Sooners, “one way or another.” The implication is that Gundy will either leave Oklahoma State for another job or the school will let him go and pay the $16 million due to him (thanks Boone Pickens!) on his contract.
But how could things have come to this point? As the quarterback for Oklahoma State, he became the all-time leading passer for the old Big Eight (a record that is safe for the rest of time since the conference’s demise) and is revered by many who remember his exploits on the field.
As the head coach, he’s breathed new life into the OSU program and taken them to heights they have never reached before, winning the 2011 Big 12 title and a Fiesta Bowl win while becoming the school’s all-time winningest coach. He’s taken the Cowboys to a bowl game in each of the last eight seasons and has finished no lower than third in the conference standings since 2009 and his players would run through a brick wall for the man (or at least most of them).
Despite the success on the field, Gundy is on the verge of getting railroaded out of town it seems.
Gundy’s biggest problem in Stillwater seems to have nothing to do with his ability on the field and everything to do with how he handles business off of it. His biggest misstep might just be getting into a feud with Pickens, the OSU super-booster who has invested heavily into the rebuilding of the Cowboy football program (and who has his name plastered on the side of the stadium).
It’s no secret that the two strong personalities do not care for each other, with Pickens making his disdain for Gundy well known and Gundy responding that he doesn’t care what Pickens’ thinks of him. It’s a clash of the two biggest names in OSU football and it has seemingly come to a head during the struggles of the 2014 season.
But beyond Gundy’s inability to play nice with Pickens, the coach has ruffled feathers over the years on a number of other fronts that seem to have laid the foundation for his exit this offseason.
He has picked fights with the media throughout his time as coach of Oklahoma State dating back to his 2007 viral rant where he proclaimed that “I’m a man! I’m forty!” His contentious style with handling the media has continued up to this week where he’s taken a cold approach towards reporters in the lead-up to Bedlam, freezing them out without providing any insight in how this team is preparing.
That turmoil with outsiders is apparently also indicative of the difficulty Gundy is having communicating with some of his players, particularly at quarterback. The position has been one of constant upheaval at Oklahoma State in recent years, dating back to 2012. Following the season in which OSU used three quarterbacks due to injuries, Wes Lunt, a promising freshman, chose to transfer, citing a lack of communication with coaches. Gundy made headlines by blocking Lunt’s ability to transfer to 37 schools before relenting and allowing him to join the Illinois Fighting Illini.
While that situation spun out of control, Gundy was also busy alienating veteran quarterback Clint Chelf. During his time at Oklahoma State, Chelf earned the starting job three different times but was never able to hold onto it as Gundy would pull him unexpectedly, like he did in the 2013 season opener when J.W. Walsh was plugged into the offense after just six pass attempts from Chelf.
The senior would reclaim the starting job later in the year with Walsh getting hurt and spark a run at the Big 12 title for OSU, including a primetime showcase against the Baylor Bears that Chelf and the Cowboys won 49-17, but Gundy continued to squash the leader of his offense in the media.
In all, it seems like Gundy has struggled to foster the relationships he needs to continue to be successful in Stillwater. Perhaps it’s a case of being too comfortable in a community, as Gundy has been playing or coaching at Oklahoma State for all but four seasons since 1986. That kind of longevity can sometimes lead to cutting corners when it comes to building the good will with media and boosters that is so often required of coaches in today’s football landscape.
Being in Stillwater for as long as he has, Gundy seems to have built up a sense of entitlement that gives him the notion that he doesn’t have to try anymore. In his mind, he is Oklahoma State football and he doesn’t have to answer to anyone.
That could make a change of scenery the best possible thing for both sides in this situation. Gundy will get a fresh start in a new location where he’ll be motivated to put his best foot forward in everything that he does.
His name has been connected to the opening for the Michigan Wolverines, which would be a step up in terms of job prestige for Gundy. The coach has flirted with leaving Stillwater in the past, getting linked to openings with the Arkansas Razorbacks and Tennessee Volunteers in recent years, so it’s not out of the question for him to be looking into new opportunities like Michigan.
If he gets that job, it would also help Oklahoma State avoid the indignity of firing one of the biggest names in the program’s history. Athletic director Mike Holder seems intent on making a change and replacing the cold shoulder of Gundy with someone who is a little more open to being a part of the community in Stillwater. It could provide a fresh start with some of the media that Gundy has shut out and keep the program’s biggest donor invested in the team.
Sometimes, relationships simply grow stale and the best thing for both sides is to walk away. At Oklahoma State, despite the continued success on the field (outside of this season), the relationship between Gundy and Oklahoma State has seemingly hit that impasse. The best thing for both sides is move on to something new with Gundy taking the next job offer that comes his way.
If he doesn’t, the inevitable split will get ugly for all parties with nobody winning.
The question, however, is whether or not both sides will find the same success after their split that they had together? Can Gundy have success outside of Stillwater? Is Oklahoma State a program that can sustain their place in the upper echelon of the Big 12? Or will they longingly look back on this time and wish they had been able to make the Gundy era at OSU work for the long haul?
You can follow Tyler Brett on Twitter @ATylerBrett, on Facebook and on Google.
