Mike Gundy Address Job Status Following Loss to Tulsa

STILLWATER – It’s been a rough few days in Stillwater following Oklahoma State’s 19-12 loss to Tulsa on Friday night. It’s the first time the Cowboys have lost to Tulsa since 1998 and the first time they lost at home to Tulsa since 1951. 

There are many people, myself included, who entered this season thinking Mike Gundy would get the Cowboys turned around and stick around for at least a few more years. Following the loss to Tulsa, I’m now in the group who believes this will be Mike’s final season in Stillwater. Could things change? Absolutely, and I hope that happens because it means the Pokes have turned things around. 

And if it were up to Mike, he’d certainly want that to happen as well. As expected, Mike was asked about the status of his job during his weekly pregame media availability. What led to one of his longest answers of the season was does he address his job status with his players? 

“I haven't had a player come to me and asked me any of that. I don’t address things. I’m under contract here for I think three-and-a-half years…When I was hired 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 somewhat when I say I don't want to do it or someone else says we won’t want you to do it. I don’t mind addressing this question. I addressed it after the game; this will kind of be the last time I address it. It’s a fair question and the players have never come to me and asked me that. I think this may be because of what I’ve instilled in them since day one, now we do have a lot of new players, but I’ve always talked to them about — you signed up to be a college football player. I signed up to be a college football coach. These are the things that come along with it, whether we like it or not, it's the way it is. Now, some things might be favorable and rewarding. Some things might be not-so-favorable and not-so-rewarding. But either way, that's what we signed up for. And I think they see that. I think they know that with me.”

The question I’ve been asked the most over the week is does Mike still want to do this? Here’s as straight forward of an answer you could expect.

“I love what I do. I have the exact same amount of energy that I've had from day one doing this. There are still some strategic things that are involved with each team every year based on talent and what's available and certain things. For example, like with the quarterback, you know, we made a little adjustment based on the other guy leaving the game early in the first game. So, there's some strategic things that we can do with Zane, and then they were better from a scheme standpoint, and he was better in the last game. So those things are very intriguing to me. 

“We have four or five things on defense that I addressed earlier that are kind of glaring that we need to clean up. So, if you clean some of those up and you tackle better, it makes a difference. That part I really enjoy. But there's never, ever become a time that I haven't wanted to come to work and pour my heart and soul into what I do for the players. That has never come about.”

He was then asked a little bit later if it was fair to say he has no interest in this being his last season in Stillwater. 

Again, incredibly candid and straight forward: “100%.”

Things certainly don’t get an easier for the Pokes from here on out as they host a talented Baylor team this coming weekend. The Bears lost to Arizona State with a last-second field goal down in Waco this past weekend, 27-24. We’ll see if Gundy and Co. can clean up a few things they need to in order to get things back on the right track in Stillwater.