Has Busy Offseason Taken Mike Gundy Off the Hot Seat?

Oklahoma State has been among the most active teams this offseason on a number of levels.

Since the end of the season, OSU has been in the middle of seemingly everything in the transfer portal. The Cowboys have signed an abundance of talent through the transfer portal, using a newfound NIL approach to attract players from various levels.

OSU’s roster for next season has now been filled with players from other big schools searching for more opportunity, others ready to make the jump from smaller schools and everything in between. In building this roster, the Cowboys have set themselves up to overcome their struggles last season and have a solid bounce-back year.

While recent months have been filled with the Cowboys securing portal commitments and seeing other OSU players find a new home, OSU began the offseason with massive coaching changes. Nearly everyone on the coaching staff was replaced, with coordinators Todd Grantham and Doug Meacham headlining the overhaul.

Despite there being some clear uncertainty about his future with the program, Mike Gundy is still set to return to Stillwater for his 21st season as head coach. Gundy has led the Cowboys to their most successful stretch in program history, but his recent struggles have still put him in hot seat conversations.

While his 3-9 season in 2024 made things difficult for the Cowboys this offseason, the significant changes could usher in another incredibly successful era of OSU football. Of course, the abrupt changes won’t necessarily lead to instant results.

Sure, the Cowboys have done seemingly everything they can to avoid having another horrendous year in 2025. Yet, the results won’t be seen for another few months, and ultimately, wins and losses will be the final judge.

However, the Cowboys should understandably expect next season to be a rebuilding year. After all, with just about everything being different going into next season, there will be a learning curve for Gundy and company to adjust to everything once the season begins.

Another losing season would be unacceptable for the Cowboys and would be met with harsh criticism. However, if the program believes in Gundy enough to keep him around after last season, there would be no reason to overreact if year one of the new era goes poorly.