Mike Gundy is officially on the hot seat following Saturday’s 69-3 loss against the Oregon Ducks. Gundy has been at the program since 2005, but he is facing mounting pressure as his team tries to rebound from one of its worst seasons in two decades.
The Cowboys, who went 3-9 overall and 0-9 in Big 12 play in 2024, handed Gundy a $1 million annual pay cut this offseason and replaced both coordinators after a December standoff with the head coach. Gundy’s new contract runs through 2028 and features a flat buyout figure of $15 million if the university parts ways after the 2025 or 2026 seasons.
- Buyout stays at $15 million after the 2026 season
- Buyout stays at $15 million after the 2026 season
- Buyout drops to $10 million after the 2027 season
Rumors have been circulating that Gundy could potentially resign as head coach of Oklahoma State and accept either an emeritus role or simply walk away. This could be an option if he genuinely cares about the team, saving them additional money in buyout costs that could be redirected.
Gundy, 58, is the winningest coach in program history with a career record of 169-88 since taking over in 2005. However, recent results have led national analysts to place him squarely in the hot seat.
“I really think Mike Gundy’s job will be in trouble,” said ESPN's Pete Thamel. “When wanting to know what institutions do, Woodward and Bernstein told us to follow the money. Well, Oklahoma State made it very clear, with Mike Gundy’s money, what their intentions are. They gave him a pay cut of a million dollars last year, after the winless Big 12 team, and they also cut the amount of his buyout to fire him."
Gundy once had the Cowboys at the top of the Big 12, but now that memory has been erased by lackluster performances in a conference that feels much less formidable than it did in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Gundy’s current contract includes a $6.75 million salary for 2025 and a $125,000 annual raise, but critical changes highlight the university’s readiness for a coaching transition. The new deal removes the traditional rollover clause and sets the buyout at a fixed $15 million through 2026, dropping to $10 million after 2027.
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