Two decades of coaching a college football program. Going through the highs of a Fiesta Bowl victory to the lows of rebuilding years. Can loyalty save your job? Nothing quite compares to the crossroads this Big 12 HC now finds himself at in Stillwater. 

Mike Gundy, the long-tenured Oklahoma State HC, was once the embodiment of stability in the Big 12. But in 2025, he’s under the weight of a restructured contract, a reworked coaching staff, and a restless fanbase still reeling from that disastrous 2024 season. With the Cowboys coming off a shocking 3-9 season, their worst in over two decades, the safety net that once protected the HC has thinned. 

Now, national voices are taking notice. On a new episode on the Cover 3 Podcast on March 20, Bud Elliot didn’t hold back, pointing to Oklahoma State’s regression and the financial flexibility the program has to move on from Mike Gundy.

“They were one of the favorites to win the conference last year and really fell flat in their face,” he said.

“I think the buyout is $25M or so but he had a restructuring of the contracts… Dropped the buyout to $15M… That’s kind of doable.” And he’s not the only one raising concerns for the Cowboys’ HC. 

In December 2024, the Oklahoma A&M Colleges Board of Regents finalized a deal that trimmed Mike Gundy’s salary by $1M per year. The restructured contract which will pay him $6.875 million in the first year will reduce his buyout from $25M to $15M and it will fall to $10M in 2028.

As OSU AD Chad Weiberg pointed out, “It will act more like what you would probably refer to as a ‘normal’ contract.” Tom Fornelli, another co-host on the show, emphasized how this season will become crucial for Mike Gundy. “This is going to be his 21st season. They went 3-9 last season, was an awful season,” the analyst pointed out.

“If they get to a bowl game, he’s 100% safe. If they don’t, I think we have to consider what does Mike say or do during the season, that could lead to some problems. But I think they would give him another season but he would probably enter 2026 in a very heavy ‘you better win’ mode.” 

Chip Patterson took it one step further and questioned if Mike Gundy has the will to endure another pressure-packed rebuild. And Fornelli’s response was blunt — “That’s the thing. I don’t know if Mike is built for this new era.”

However, we know he’s never been under tighter control. 

Mike Gundy’s fall from grace 

Just a year ago, Oklahoma State was playing for a Big 12 title. Now they’re picking up the pieces from an all-time collapse from a humiliating 0-9 conference record for the first time since 1991. The offense sputtered, and the defense got shredded weekly. A once proud program that went to 18 straight bowl games under Mike Gundy found itself at rock bottom. A full-scale staff overhaul followed this. 

The Cowboys parted ways with its offensive and defensive coordinators, bringing in Doug Meacham to fix the offense and Todd Grantham to salvage the defense. But will it be enough? Mike Gundy’s track record is undeniable.

Before last season, his only loss came in his debut season in 2005, where he went 4-7. But the reality is harsh. The college football landscape has changed. In the age of NIL, the transfer portal, and mounting pressure to deliver immediate success, loyalty only goes so far.  

2025 isn’t just about bouncing back. This is going to be a season of survival. For the first time in two decades, Mike Gundy is coaching for his job in Stillwater.