All Eyes Are on One Name in the Cowboys’ Coaching Search

Oklahoma State’s coaching search is already raising the kind of intrigue that suggests the power dynamics behind the scenes might be clearer than we thought.

On the latest edition of CBS Sports’ College Football Insiders, Chris Hummer and Richard Johnson spotlighted Zac Robinson as a name to watch, not just as a candidate, but as a kind of litmus test for who really holds sway in Stillwater.

As Johnson put it, “How Zac Robinson’s candidacy goes will show you who’s steering the ship at Oklahoma State.”

In their conversation, booster influence and internal alignment were central themes. Hummer remarked that Robinson’s name is “going to have a ton of backing from the booster class” and that choosing him would represent a smooth transition from the Mike Gundy era, given Robinson’s history as a former OSU quarterback under Gundy. The suggestion is that OSU stakeholders may prefer someone who is part of the existing culture and already bought in, rather than hiring from outside.

That said, Hummer also acknowledged alternative paths. The insiders floated names like GJ Kinne, high on the national radar, as a more “up-and-coming” option, but we were reminded that such hires may not last long in Stillwater if bigger opportunities arise for them. What this does is frame Robinson not just as a fallback or sentimental choice, but as someone whose acceptance, or rejection, could reveal whether OSU is governed by institutional hierarchy, booster sentiment, or administrative control.

The optics here are rich. If Robinson becomes the leading contender, it hints at a strong booster role and possibly influence from Gundy himself, who reportedly retains contract power to advise the next hire. Conversely, if Robinson declines or is passed over, the direction OSU chooses instead will reveal whose voice carries weight in this search.

At bottom, all the talk around Robinson tells us this: the Gundy era didn’t just leave behind a coaching vacuum; it left behind complex alliances, expectations, and power structures. The next hire will matter deeply, but the process may matter even more. If Zac Robinson emerges as the nominee and accepts, that could be the clearest signal yet of how the new OSU regime will function.