3 takeaways from Mike Gundy ahead of his 21st season

RELAXED AND REJUVENATED

Going into his 21st season as head coach of the Cowboys, Mike Gundy seems at ease even though OSU suffered through a 3-9 season in 2024. He’s energized by an infusion of talent and athleticism on the roster. Embracing the change in college athletics and paying for that talent is a major factor.

While there were questions from some about his status immediately after the end of last season, Gundy told us he never thought he was done at OSU. He was more than willing to give us a little extra time on the day of the interview, which just happened to be on his birthday.

A DIFFERENT UNCERTAINTY

With the dozens of new players on the roster, there’s the obvious uncertainty of how many will perform once the season begins. That’s nowhere more evident than at quarterback, where a battle between redshirt freshmen Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny may not be decided until just before the opener on the 28th.

Gundy told us the Cowboys have plenty of talent to win games, and now it’s just a matter of the coaches putting those players in the right spots. Will this be a bounce-back season in Stillwater? It’s almost impossible to predict, but some of Gundy’s best work has come in seasons where experts didn’t give OSU much of a chance.

BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

During the interview, the head coach said he put then-defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo in a bad spot last year. He said Nardo is a good coach and should get more opportunities. Injuries to the Cowboys’ best defenders didn’t help.

Gundy also said he believes he’s better at building relationships with players, that he’s matured in that area. Interaction with a few of them in the hallway outside his office after the interview would seem to back up those comments.

As for “The Rant” being 18 years ago? Gundy said it was the best thing to ever happen to recruiting. He also said it used to be the parents of players who would bring up the “I’m a man, I’m 40” line, but now? It’s the grandparents.