How does a program say goodbye to a coach that's spent more than half of his life serving the university in various roles looking to make it better? For Oklahoma State, the answer is by firing him on a Tuesday Morning with the world finding out on social media. Mike Gundy's long tenure at Oklahoma State has come to an end with the Cowboys firing the legendary head coach after his loss to Tulsa.
BREAKING: Oklahoma State has fired Mike Gundy, @clowfb reports. https://t.co/CjSOhXtygZ pic.twitter.com/lKSfFKy7KG
— On3 (@On3sports) September 23, 2025
Mike Gundy isn't just a coach who was hired for the job and filled it for a long time, he was a true Oklahoma State lifer. Gundy played quarterback for the Cowboys from 1986-1989, when his playing career was done he instantly became the wide receivers coach. All in all between his various roles served, Mike Gundy gave the program 35 years of his life.
Gundy's last game coached was on Friday, the Cowboys waited to fire the legendary coach until Tuesday even allowing him to speak with the press on Monday and answer questions about being on the hot seat. According to Pete Nakos of On3, the satff found out the same way everyone else did, via social media.
Sources have expressed shock that this was done on a Tuesday. As of about 15 minutes ago, the staff had not even been told, a source tells @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) September 23, 2025
Gundy held his weekly press conference yesterday, where he said "I'm under contract, here, for I think 3½ years." https://t.co/wrg2ALR5r9
The perfect example of how to rid yourself of a legendary Head Coach is the way LSU handled firing Ed Orgeron. Coach O wasn't at LSU nearly as long as Gundy spent at Oklahoma State but, when the National Championship winning coach was let go, LSU reached a mutual agreement agreeing to pay the full buyout and allowing him to coach the rest of the season meaning he got a send off from the fans.
Gundy's resume at Oklahoma State speaks for itself, he had 18 straight winning seasons and a Big 12 Championship, while falling just short of another title and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2021. Mike Gundy is just as big as the program and for him not to get any semblance of a send off isn't right even if this season would've been a disaster.
It's possible Oklahoma State put these options on the table and Gundy didn't take them but, he deserved much more than to disappear into the night.
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