The Mike Gundy era at Oklahoma State appears to be hanging by a thread in the 2025 season. ESPN’s Reece Davis discussed the likelihood of Gundy’s firing with a tone of reverence, almost as if eulogizing his tenure.
Davis called Gundy a towering figure in Cowboys football history and said he should be allowed to leave Stillwater with dignity.
“I just hope it’s handled with grace — and that Mike allows it to be — if a change is indeed coming, as it appears,” ESPN’s Reece Davis said on the College GameDay Podcast. “He is Oklahoma State football. Sure, they’ve had legendary players like Barry Sanders, Terry Miller, and Hartley Dykes, among others. But in terms of what he’s given the program — as both a player and a coach — his impact is unmatched. He came within a sliver, and some bad luck, of playing for a national championship. Mike Gundy has defined Oklahoma State football.”
The Cowboys sit at 1-1 after the first two weeks. They opened with a workmanlike, if uninspiring, win over UT Martin, then suffered an embarrassing 69-3 thrashing at the hands of Oregon in Week 2.
After a bye, Gundy’s team now faces Tulsa at Boone Pickens Stadium in what feels like a pivotal game for his future. Oklahoma State is a heavy favorite, but the in-state rivalry adds intrigue.
Gundy recently restructured his contract to funnel more money toward NIL efforts. But if that doesn’t translate into winning talent — or if the locker room no longer responds to him — the 58-year-old coach may be nearing the end of his run.
Two decades in, the program isn’t trending upward. The separation is coming, and Davis hopes when it happens, it’s without fireworks. ESPN surely feels the same.
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