Can Mike Gundy Outcoach His High School Biology Teacher?

STILLWATER – It was about 40 minutes, maybe a little longer since the Cowboys had finished up an impressive road win over West Virginia with a 24-3 sort of defensive masterpiece. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy had addressed his team, spoke with the media, and was finishing up getting dressed after a postgame shower. Gundy began thinking ahead.

“You know TCU upset Baylor and they ran that Morris kid out there at quarterback and ran a lot of empty (formation),” Gundy said. “That kid was running and throwing all over the field. They will not be an easy opponent. We will have our hands full.”

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Kill before last Saturday’s game with Baylor. TCU won 30-28.

Not only that, but with the mutual parting of the ways over a week ago between TCU and longtime successful head coach Gary Patterson, Patterson’s friend and a TCU football advisor Jerry Kill took over as the Frogs interim head coach. Kill grew up in Cheney, Kan. and played college football at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan. was the first person in his family to graduate from college. He took his diploma and started teaching. Now here as the late radio storyteller Paul Harvey would say is “the rest of the story.” Kill got his teaching and coaching start at Midwest City High School and he had young Bombers quarterback Mike Gundy in class.

"Well, he was my high school biology teacher in junior biology,” Gundy said of Kill. “He and I have been able to stay in touch over the years and he's done a lot in his career and been a lot of places. He's an old school, tough guy who I've always had a lot of respect for and what he's been able to accomplish. He's been around a lot and very well-respected in our profession and certainly by me. I'm glad that good things are still happening to him.

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Evans won one of his State Championships at Midwest City with Gundy at quarterback.

Good things happened to Kill after coaching with legendary Midwest City and Oklahoma High School Hall of Fame head coach Dick Evans and there was a young up and coming offensive-minded coach in Ron Smith that was part of all that success in black and gold.

Kill didn’t coach Gundy much as Smith and Evans were the primary coaches that Gundy dealt with. Okay, how was Kill as a biology teacher.

"I don't know,” Gundy answered. “I wasn't as good a student as I should have been. So, I was just waiting to get to 2:30 to get to football or baseball."

Kill didn’t stay long in Midwest City going on to help start a dynasty as a defensive coordinator at Pittsburg State, serve as head coach at Missouri prep powerhouse Webb City, and then start his way as a head coach all the way up to Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, and eventually Big Ten member Minnesota, where he turned the Gophers football fortunes around.

I asked Gundy if he thought Kill had picked up much from coaches like Evans and Smith before moving on.

"I would guess, you know with Coach Evans and his staff they had been there forever. And I quit counting, but at one time they were 46 years in a row in (making) the playoffs. Anybody that had coached there under those guys had to have taken things with them. You know, there's been a number of head coaches come out of that group, but Coach Kill's discipline and structure and toughness and things like that he had that. I think (he had that) because when I remember him coaching he had that, but that's what he would have gotten out of that organization with Coach Evans and that staff."

I also asked Gundy what he thought on that drastic change in the TCU offense going to Chandler Morris and running so much empty (formation). Was that more Kill or more TCU offensive coordinator and former OSU player and assistant Doug Meacham going to Morris running and throwing the ball all over the field?

“Oh, I think that was more Meacham and his (offensive) staff,” Gundy said. “Coach Kill was more of a defensive coach.”

Check that resume’ now. Kill left Pitt State as defensive coordinator to be a head coach at Webb City. He came back to Pitt State before his first college head coaching post and served as offensive coordinator. The old coach may have made a suggestion or two.

I just wonder if any college football head coach has ever won a game over his former high school biology teacher?