Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy takes $1 million pay cut following investigation

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy will be taking a $1 million pay cut following an internal review, as well as his five-year rollover contract being shortened to four years.

"We have spent the past couple of weeks reviewing our program and talking with current and former players," athletic director Mike Holder said. "Our internal review found that Coach Gundy needs to invest more time in building stronger relationships with his student-athletes. However, our review has uncovered no signs or indication of racism."

Gundy faced criticism from his own players after a photo surfaced of him wearing an OAN shirt, which is a far-right cable company that has attacked the Black Lives Matter movement. Gundy apologized but Holder and university president Burns Hargis felt an investigation of Gundy's performance as coach and relationship with the players was necessary.

Ultimately, they decided to stick with Gundy, albeit handing him a pay cut in the process. Though, reducing his salary by $1 million was reportedly Gundy's own idea.

"This issue is fixable," Hargis said. "After meeting with both Mike Holder and Mike Gundy, I believe they are committed to taking steps to strengthen the relationships, which will improve communications and the program."

For Gundy, the experience appears to have been eye-opening, as he says he was saddened to realize how disconnected his players felt from their coach.

"There have been a lot of teachable moments for me here recently," Gundy told Yahoo Sports. "When the players said they felt I was disconnected, it broke my heart. Hearing that led me to look at myself and acknowledge that it's probably true. I've spent a lot of time listening and learning lately, and now I feel better about moving forward in developing deeper relationships with my players. That's what they told me they wanted and that's now a top priority for me."