Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy Ranked Among Top Coaching Hires This Century

Oklahoma State’s coach has been one of the best in the country, and it has been clear to everyone around the country.

Since being hired in 2005, Mike Gundy has been among the winningest head coaches in college football. In turning the program around in Stillwater, Gundy has made OSU one of the premier teams in the nation and has had the Cowboys competing on the national stage repeatedly in his career.

With so much success with the Cowboys, it’s no surprise that he landed on CBS Sports’ list of the top 25 head coaching hires this century. Gundy’s hiring at OSU earned the No. 8 spot on the list.

“There are almost no words that can properly contextualize what Gundy accomplished at Oklahoma State,” Shehan Jeyarajah wrote. “He has nearly tripled the second-place coach for most wins in program history and has the best winning percentage of any OSU coach since 1933. Gundy posted a remarkable 18 consecutive winning seasons with 10 AP Top 25 finishes. 

“The only knock? He truly was not able to compete with rival Oklahoma, posting a 4-15 record against the Sooners. With a few more Bedlam skins on the wall, the Cowboys probably would have half a dozen Big 12 titles instead of just one. “

Gundy’s spot at No. 8 is impressive considering he has never won a national title. Of the seven coaches above him, only Gary Patterson at TCU (No. 7) is without a national championship.

While Gundy’s time in Stillwater has been one of the most notable periods in OSU history, he once again is tasked with turning the program around for next season. After going 3-9 and having a losing season for the first time since 2005, the Cowboys need to bounce back in 2025.

Riding a nine-game losing streak into the offseason, OSU failed to win a single conference game last season. While most programs might view that type of season as something impossible to bounce back from, OSU knows that Gundy had the ability to lead the program through tough stretches.