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Oklahoma State Makes Another Coaching Change After Loss to Baylor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 11:45 AM ET

We imagine that the Oklahoma State Cowboys had high hopes for the coaching duo of longtime head coach Mike Gundy and new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.

Not even a month into the season, neither is in Stillwater anymore. Oklahoma State fired Grantham after only four games, less than 24 hours after the Cowboys’ defense allowed 612 yards in a 45-27 home loss to Baylor.

Oklahoma State dismissed Gundy, the Cowboys’ head coach since 2005, last Tuesday. The 1-3 Cowboys have not defeated an FBS opponent since a 45-10 victory over Tulsa on Sept. 14, 2024.

Quality control coach Clint Bowen will replace Grantham as defensive coordinator. Bowen, a longtime defensive assistant who had two stints at Kansas, spent 2021-24 as the head coach at Lawrence High School in Kansas.

Bowen’s son, Banks, is a freshman quarterback at Oklahoma State and played for his father in high school.

Grantham, who turned 59 on Sept. 13, has an extensive coaching history dating back to 1990. He spent the last two seasons as the New Orleans Saints’ defensive line coach.

The timing of Grantham’s firing, even after the Cowboys’ latest loss, is extremely strange. Grantham signed a three-year, $4.2 million contract last December and was the team’s highest-paid assistant. According to ESPN, Grantham will receive the remaining salary on his deal; he had a $1.3 million salary for the 2025 season.

Oklahoma State had not announced any further coaching changes as of Monday morning. However, it’s hard not to imagine that the rest of the defensive staff — save Bowen, considering his promotion — might be extremely nervous entering Saturday’s game at Arizona.

FanDuel Sportsbook listed Oklahoma State as +19.5 road underdogs (-106, meaning a $100 bet results in a $194.34 payout) as of Monday morning.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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