Brent Venables Issues a Second Explanation on the Gundy Resignation, It's Not Looking Good

STILLWATER – The story out of Norman, Okla. is officially raging out of control as longtime Oklahoma assistant coach and top recruiter Cale Gundy has been forced to resign from the Sooners football staff. Gundy fully acknowledged that in a receivers meeting last week he confronted a player that was not paying attention and was not using his iPad to take notes during the meeting like Gundy had requested. When he looked at the player’s iPad he read what was on it. It was a rap song the player cliamed he was writing, and Gundy read it to the room. The language contained a word that Gundy in his resignation noted that you simply cannot utter. Gundy apologized to the player, the players, and the entire team. Pokes Report has found out the player that had the iPad and wrote the words in the rap song apologized to Gundy and the team as well.

It is a difficult situation and needed to be addressed, but it sure seemed harsh to push out a former quarterback that had served 23-years on the football staff with loyalty and devotion and contributed greatly to the program’s success. In fact, during Venables time at Clemson as defensive coordiantor under Dabo Swinney, a similar situation occurred and apparently Venables didn’t take notes. Here is how Swinney addressed the situation. 

Cale Gundy announced his resignation late Sunday evening in a heartfelt Twitter post. Venables put out a response shortly after.

Then today after so much response in favor of Gundy including from former head coach Bob Stoops ...

“It’s with great sadness that I’m reading this,” Stoops tweeted. “I’ve worked along side Cale for 23 years and know him to be a man of character and a person that loves and cares for his players as well as OU. Thank you Cale for all the hard work you poured into our program, it will be remembered!”

from former players, many of them, including Joe Mixon ...

“Coach Gundy is everything OU and any institution would want in a coach, teacher, and mentor,” Mixon tweeted. “He is caring, thoughtful, intelligent, smart, funny, experienced, philanthropic, humble, and selfless. If not for Coach Gundy I would not have attended OU, survived at OU, stayed at OU, and succeeded in life after OU. I owe my education and professional career to him and most importantly I owe who I am as a person to him. ...

“Most importantly Coach Gundy is not, and I repeat is not a racist in any way nor has a racist bone in his body, mind, or soul.”

This from Adrian Peterson:

Venables did the unheard of and unadviseable. He took to Twitter again, threw Gundy under the Sooner schooner again, and further explained his position. You comment once and let it go. This response shows he is measuring and believes he is losing in the court of public opinion. 

With current and former players backing Cale Gundy this appears to be a potential major distraction that could cause issues with the upcoming season. 

Bryan Terry USA TODAY Sports

Cale and Mike Gundy greet before last Novemeber’s Bedlam game. 

Meanwhile, our sources tell us that Gundy, while disappointed with the way his career at Oklahoma ended, is looking forward to family time and whatever is next for him. For those Oklahoma State fans that are already hoping that Gundy’s older brother Mike will bring him on the Cowboys staff. That is highly unlikely. Mike Gundy supports his brother, but told me that Cale is interested in doing something outside of coaching. He will continue to enjoy the sport of football but in ways that don’t call for long hours, lots of traveling to recruit, and time away from family. Gundy told me his brother is looking forward to discovering the life outside coaching and does plan on watching his nephews Gage (Stillwater High School) and Gunnar (Oklahoma State) play football this season since he has never been able to make it to their games in the past. 

Cale Gundy seems to be comfortable with his future even while so many of his former and current players would prefer he be coaching Oklahoma and seemingly many Sooners fans agree.