Ollie Gordon and Mike Gundy Both Take Huge Honors from Big 12 Coaches
STILLWATER – The Big 12 coaches vote annually on the league’s all-conference team and it is released the week of the Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma State will play Texas at 11 a.m. on Saturday inside AT&T Cowboys Stadium with the league title on the line. One of the two team’s departing the conference in Texas battling one that will look to help keep it affluent in Power Five college football. Oklahoma State received a pair of major honors from coaches including one for Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy, but first, the breakthrough sensation in the league in running back Ollie Gordon II, who leads the nation in rushing with 1,580-yards and 20 rushing touchdowns, was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Gordon II is the third Cowboy to capture Offensive Player of the Year, joining Chuba Hubbard (2019) and Justin Blackmon (2010)—all three of whom were honored in their sophomore season. This is the fourth time a running back has won the award in five seasons, joining Hubbard and Breece Hall (Iowa State, 2020 and 2021).
Mike Gundy was named the Chuck Neinas Coach of the Year, ironically it was Neinas, acting as interim Big 12 Commissioner in 2011 that handed the Big 12 Conference trophy to Mike Gundy when the Cowboys defeated Oklahoma and won the league crown.
Gundy has been named Chuck Neinas Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons. In addition to 2021 and 2023, he won the award in 2010.
He joins Matt Campbell (Iowa State), Bill Snyder (Kansas State) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) as three-time winners of the award.
Gundy was named the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year and the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year in 2011. He is 165-78 in his career as the winningest head coach in Oklahoma State history and it not even close. He is 102-63 in Big 12 competition.
Selections are made by the league’s 14 head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players. Oklahoma State is fourth in all-time individual awards won with 27. That is behind Oklahoma (48), Kansas State (38), and Texas (36).
Other Big 12 Awards Announced:
DEFENSIVE FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR - Anthony Hill Jr., Texas and LB Ben Roberts, Texas Tech, LB SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Austin McNamara, Texas Tech, P, Sr. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR - Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Sr. DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR - Byron Murphy II, Texas, DL, Jr. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, DL, Sr. OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Adonai Mitchell, Texas, WR, Jr. DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Austin Booker, Kansas, DL, So. OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Rocco Becht, Iowa State,