Mike Gundy buyout, contract details as Oklahoma State Cowboys coach

Billy Heyen

Mike Gundy buyout, contract details as Oklahoma State Cowboys coach image

Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State football go pretty much hand in hand.

The Cowboys' fanbase might not be convinced that that's a good thing anymore.

Oklahoma State has fallen off as a program, and it's not clear if a revival is coming.

Gundy is 170-89 as Oklahoma State's head coach entering the matchup with Tulsa on Sept. 19, 2025. He took the job in 2005 and has been around for two decades.

If things on the field don't change, could a coaching change be coming?

Mike Gundy buyout terms

Mike Gundy's current buyout is $15 million, according to The Oklahoman.

That's what Oklahoma State would owe Gundy if he's terminated without cause by the end of 2027.

If Gundy is terminated without cause after Dec. 31, 2027, the buyout drops to $10 million.

"If the team can’t get back on track, OSU leadership could very well begin looking at the next steps for the program in the middle of the year," writes Scott Wright of The Oklahoman. "Maybe that entails a negotiated buyout of the final three years of his contract and an announcement from Gundy that he will retire at the end of the season. That would allow the program to move on and begin its coaching search, but also salute Gundy for what he’s done to build OSU football into a national brand."

Mike Gundy contract details

Gundy signed a new contract last December.

It reduced his annual salary by $1 million and it runs through the end of 2028. 

Gundy is making $6.875 million in 2025, and he's due for a raise of $125,000 each of the next three seasons.

His contract does allow Gundy to have input in a succession plan to replace him, "if the athletic director so choses," according to The Oklahoman.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle