Breaking: Oklahoma State Fires Kasey Dunn and Bryan Nardo

(Robert Allen of Pokes Report contributed to the this story.)

STILLWATER – Pokes Report has learned from multiple sources, and has consulted with Brett McMurphy with the Action Sports Network, that Wednesday morning Oklahoma State offensive coordinator, Kasey Dunn, and defensive coordinator, Bryan Nardo, were told they were being let go. 

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Mike Gundy at Tulsa this season.

This action by head coach Mike Gundy comes after the 3-9 season and the nine-game losing streak to finish the year with an 0-9 record in Big 12 play. This is just the third time that Gundy has fired a defensive coordinator in his 20 years as head coach. This is the first time he has fired an offensive coordinator. 

Defensively, Oklahoma State was the second worst unit in Division I FBS allowing 500.6-yards a contest split with 215-yards rushing a game and 285.58-yards passing a contest. The defense only forced 15 turnovers this season and allowed an average of 35.6-points per game. 

Offensively, Oklahoma State scored 27.2 points per game this was a low for the Kasey Dunn era as offensive coordinator. The total offense was 374-yards a game, also a low for the Cowboys in recent seasons. That was a split of just 111.8-yards rushing and 262.25-yards passing.

The two coaches were still at the West End Zone this morning and into the afternoon. Our multiple sources said it happened early in the day. We know there was a staff meeting at 10 a.m. 

Dunn has spent the past 14 seasons on staff, joining as the wide receivers coach in 2011, then promoted to associate head coach ahead of the 2019 season and then offensive coordinator in 2020.

Nardo was hired away from Division II Gannon University where he had one of the best defenses at that level and had just coached a Gannon defense that was their best in 20-years. He was brought in to run an odd man (three-man) front defense, but midway into his first season the Cowboys gradually morphed back into a four-man front. Nardo stayed as the defensive coordinator, but he was educating himself more on how to coach up and work in the frame of an even front. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Dunn is renowned for his work coaching wide receivers.

Dunn has been one of the best wide receiver coaches in the nation having coached up Justin Blackmon in his first season on the coaching staff, James Washington, and Tylan Wallace. Blackmon and Washington each won the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football. Wallace was a Biletnikoff finalist. Dunn has coached in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks as well as college stops at Idaho (alma mater), San Diego, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington State, TCU, Baylor, and Southern Miss.

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Bryan Nardo at practice.

Nardo was a student coach at Ohio University and then coached at Missouri S&T, Emporia State, and Youngstown State before going to Gannon and from there he came to Oklahoma State. His reputation grew as a defensive coordinator at the Division II level and his expertise on three-man front defensive play. He is also a coach in the secondary with safeties and corners. He was immensely popular with the player on both sides of the football.

There was no immediate word on any other changes on the coaching staff or a time table for the hiring of new coordinators for Oklahoma State on offense and defense.