Oklahoma State Fires Longtime Coach Mike Gundy After 21 Years

Oklahoma State fired Head Coach Mike Gundy on Monday, ending his run with the program that dated back to 2005.

Gundy was the second-longest active tenured Head Coach in the country, only trailing Iowa's Kirk Ferentz.

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Mike Gundy, the second-longest-tenured FBS head coach, has been fired by Oklahoma State, effective immediately, it was announced Tuesday.

"Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy's leadership," athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement. "I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football."

Gundy, 58, was in his 21st season leading the Cowboys, trailing only Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa coach since 1999. Gundy's exit comes four days after Oklahoma State fell to 1-2 in a 19-12 loss to Tulsa last Friday and less than 24 hours after Gundy on Monday coached practice and publicly stated his "100 percent" intention to remain with the program beyond the 2025 season.

"I'm under contract, here, for I think 3½ years," Gundy said Monday. "When I was hired here to take this job, ever since that day, I've put my heart and soul into this and I will continue to do that until at some point, if I say I don't want to do it or if somebody else says we don't want you to do it."

Gundy was set to make $6.75 million in 2025. Per his contract, he will be owed $15 million by the university upon his departure.

"This is a decision about what's best for our football program, our student-athletes and Oklahoma State University and it reflects our unwavering commitment to championship-level football and competing for national success," university president Jim Hess said in a statement.

"Coach Gundy dedicated decades of his life to OSU, achieving significant success and positively impacting hundreds of young men who wore the OSU uniform. His contributions to our university, both as a player and coach, deserve our profound respect and will not be forgotten. We are grateful for his service and wish him and his family the very best."

Offensive coordinator Doug Meacham has been named interim head coach, a source told ESPN.

From 2005 to 2025, Gundy oversaw a rapid transformation of the Oklahoma State football program, compiling a record of 170-90 and brandishing a reputation as one of the sport's most fiery and outspoken figures.

After an 18-19 start to his coaching career, Gundy and the Cowboys won at least nine games in five of their next six seasons, headlined by a 2011 Big 12 title campaign that saw Oklahoma State finish No. 3 in the AP Top 25 with its Fiesta Bowl win over Stanford.

All told, Gundy led the Cowboys to eight 10-win seasons across his two-plus decades in charge of the program, which had recorded only three double-digit win campaigns in the 104 seasons before Gundy took over in 2005.

Oklahoma State finished with a losing record only twice in Gundy's 20 full seasons, with the Cowboys reaching the Big 12 championship game as recently as 2023.

Oklahoma State opens Big 12 play against Baylor on Saturday.

Source: ESPN.com