Where Does OSU's Mike Gundy Rank Among Big 12 Coaches?

Oklahoma State is set for another season with Mike Gundy at the helm, and he has something to prove in 2025.

After finishing last season with his worst record as a head coach, Gundy saw nearly everything around him change this offseason. With new coordinators, assistant coaches and a slew of new players, the Cowboys are set for another interesting year.

Of course, expectations are much lower going into this season than they were in 2024. With the Cowboys anticipated to be fighting to make a bowl game in 2025, the pressure is rather light for Gundy.

Still, OSU has a standard of winning that Gundy has played a significant role in establishing. So, anything other than a winning season would still be a disappointment in Stillwater.

Considering Gundy has been around the program for decades, he understands that. To truly have a successful year, the Cowboys will need to reestablish themselves as true players in the Big 12 title race, and Gundy will need to establish himself as one of the league’s top coaches yet again.

In CBS Sports’ recent rankings of Big 12 coaches, Shehan Jeyarajah touted Gundy as the conference’s eighth-best coach, which also slots him at No. 34 in the country. Going into last season, CBS had Gundy as the league’s fourth-best coach.

Iowa State's Matt Campbell earned the No. 1 spot among Big 12 coaches, with Utah's Kyle Wittingham and Kansas State's Chris Klieman rounding out the top three.

After winning only three games and failing to win any conference games, having one of the worst statistical teams in the country and securing the worst record in his coaching career, slipping from fourth to eighth isn’t too shabby. At No. 8, Gundy still ranks among the top half of the Big 12’s coaches and clearly there is room for him to move up (or down) depending on how next season plays out.

While many other coaches with a 2024 like Gundy might have slid outside of the top 10 entirely, his two decades of success give him the benefit of the doubt more often than not. And, frankly, more often than not, it’s been the right call to cut him some slack.

Time and time again, Gundy’s teams have performed above expectations. With the Cowboys entering 2025 with some of the lowest expectations in recent memory, they might just deliver another typical Gundy year.