Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State career by the numbers: Future Hall of Fame coach’s legacy in Stillwater unmatched

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was fired after 21 seasons with the program on Tuesday. Gundy, a future Hall of Fame coach, was the second-longest tenured leader in the sport behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. 

The Cowboys coach was one of the most iconic of the 21st Century as he helped turn Oklahoma State into a nationally relevant program. He boasts nearly all of the best seasons as a coach in program history and elevated them into a force.

However, Oklahoma State fell back to the pack in recent years. Last season, Gundy posted a 3-9 record, the worst of his career. The Cowboys lost to Tulsa on Friday for the first time at home since 1951, which followed up a historic 69-3 loss to Oregon. 

Here are a few stats that really help contextualize the magnitude of Gundy’s career with the Cowboys, from player to legendary coach. 

• Mike Gundy is the all-time Oklahoma State wins leader with 170. No one else has more than 62 wins. 
• Oklahoma State has 11 10-win seasons in program history. Gundy has been involved in 10 of them as a player or coach. 

Calling Gundy synonymous with the program is an understatement. The Midwest City, Oklahoma, native has been part of nearly every moment of relevance in the history of Oklahoma State. His tenure started with the Cowboys as a player from 1986-89, where he played with Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders and won 20 games in two years under coach Pat Jones. 

He spent a few years away from the program, but his return in 2001 as associate head coach under Les Miles helped spur the major turnaround. Gundy posted his first 10-win season in 2010 and went on to record eight more over the years. He hit 12 wins during a sensational 2011 season, the best of his tenure behind quarterback Brandon Weeden. 

• Oklahoma State became a premier developer of wide receivers under Gundy, winning three Biletnikoff Awards (Justin Blackmon twice, James Washington). 
• The Cowboys won the Biletnikoff, Lou Groza, Ray Guy, Doak Walker, Unitas Golden Arm and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year awards under Gundy. Prior to Gundy, Barry Sanders was the only Oklahoma State player to capture a major national award. 
• Gundy quarterbacks Mason Rudolph (No. 21) and Brandon Weeden (No. 32) posted two of the top 40 passing seasons in college football history. 
• Between his time as a head coach and associate head coach under Les Miles, Oklahoma State produced eight first-round NFL Draft picks. There were only 13 total in the first 100 years of the program. 

Oklahoma State’s offenses under Gundy were legendary. After spending his early career as a quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, Gundy became one of the greatest producers of both positions at the college level. Two Oklahoma State receivers won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the country, and Dez Bryant became a first-round NFL Draft pick. Quarterbacks Brandon Weeden and Mason Rudolph both became some of the most productive passers in college football history under Gundy’s tutelage. 

Later in his career, the running backs started to step to the forefront. Running back Ollie Gordon II captured the Doak Walker Award after clearing 1,700 yards in 2023. Chuba Hubbard recorded more than 2,000 yards in 2019, joining Sanders as the only Cowboys to achieve the feat. 

• Oklahoma State averaged more than eight wins per year across Gundy’s tenure. 
• Gundy trails only Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops for the most wins in Big 12 history. He passed Kansas State’s Bill Snyder this season. 
• He was also the second-longest tenured coach in college football when he was let go, trailing only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. 

Seventeen years ago, Gundy became a household name after his famous “I’m a man, I’m 40” rant. But while that soundbite made him a viral star, it also showed just how young he was at the time. Gundy was hired at Oklahoma State when he was only 37 and went on to have one of the greatest careers of any coach in Big 12 history. 

Even now, Gundy just turned 58. That made him only the sixth-oldest coach in the Big 12. Before the season, Gundy told CBS Sports that if Oklahoma State fired him, he would simply move on and take another job, if offered. 

“It doesn’t affect me just from a standpoint that I’m so far along in my career, I get it,” Gundy said. “If someone says, ‘Hey, we need to change the coach at Oklahoma State,’ then I go coach somewhere else.” 

• Gundy struggled to beat Oklahoma, posting a 4-15 (.211) record against the Sooners. His mark was nearly identical to the all-time mark (.199), despite leading the Cowboys to their greatest run in program history.
• Because of his struggles against the Sooners in Big 12 play, Gundy ultimately won only one conference championship at Oklahoma State.  
• However, Gundy beat Oklahoma 27-24 in 2023 in the final Bedlam in program history before the Sooners went to the SEC.  

Gundy is a clear College Football Hall of Fame coach whenever he hangs up his visor for the final time. However, there were a few mountains that even he had trouble climbing during his time with the Pokes. Notably, the in-state rivalry against Oklahoma was a brutal affair for Gundy, and dragged on his legacy. 

That said, he was able to at least beat the Sooners in the final Bedlam before Oklahoma left for the SEC, which bought them permanent bragging rights. However, without the Sooners in his way, there’s no telling how many conference championships the Cowboys could have competed for over the years.