On Friday Night, any hopes that the Mike Gundy era was salvageable were washed away as the Cowboys lost in stunning fashion at home to Tulsa. The Cowboys were outclassed in every facet of the game as it looked like Tulsa was the Power 4 program, while Oklahoma State got dominated at the line of scrimmage.
The team came out completely flat, scoring their first touchdown in the 4th quarter as they looked like they didn't even belong on the same field for 3 quarters. Losing to a Tulsa team that is made up of a ton of Oklahoma State transfers adds more sting to the loss, especially considering Tulsa is right down the road and has the smallest enrollment in the FBS. The time to Mike Gundy feels like now as it's clear the program is only trending backward under his leadership in this new era.
These 3 Coaches would be homerun hires to replace Mike Gundy
The hire that may get the Oklahoma State fans the most excited while also driving their In-State rival crazy would be hiring away Ben Arbuckle from Oklahoma. The Sooners' OC has become the quarterback whisperer after coaching Cam Ward in his breakout before coaching John Mateer, which allowed him to jump from Washington State to Oklahoma. In the Big 12, you need to field a high-powered offense, and if there's anyone who could lead the charge, it would be Arbuckle. The lone issue for Oklahoma State is the fact that Arbuckle may end up getting a bigger job.
The last time Oklahoma State had to hire a Head Coach, they went with their former quarterback, and it worked out to perfection as Mike Gundy became a staple in Stillwater. This time around, Oklahoma State could again return to the well by hiring Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who was quarterback for the Cowboys under Mike Gundy. Robinson has gotten great experience at the NFL level, but the question will be whether his alma mater can get him to coach at the College ranks.
The USF Bulls have proven under Alex Golesh that they can play with any program, and if the Cowboys are going to compete for Big 12 Championships once again, they'll need a coach like Golesh. The Bulls have been able to compete with the best teams in the Country every year with fewer resources, which should stand out the most for the Cowboys. Whether or not Golesh will be interested in the job is the big question, but Oklahoma State could be a massive step up in resources.
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