T. Boone Pickens wisely shows support for Mike Gundy
The grass isn’t always greener. That seems to be what the power brokers around Oklahoma State football are starting to learn.
After Mike Gundy fell to 2-11 in his career against Oklahoma, the Cowboys head coach was very reflective in his postgame press conference, saying:
“I couldn’t be any more proud of what our players have given us… ‘do the losses sting?’, Sure they do. Some people look at me and say, ‘You don’t act like it bothers you very much.’ I told the team, here’s the deal, I’ve been doing this 30 years, as a player and a coach. One thing I’ve learned is that everybody in that room wanted to win… there’s not anybody in this stadium that wants to win and compete more than me. But I’ve done this long enough to know that we as a staff have respect for them and what they gave us, we just came up a little bit short.
It was an incredibly mature and reasoned response from Gundy. He didn’t succumb to media or fan pressure and have a postgame outburst to show he’s “fed up” and “outraged” by another Bedlam loss.
But the fact is for Gundy, he’s built up enough equity to respond as he did and still have the fan base’s respect. At least he should.
More good news came down for Gundy on Monday when megabooster T. Boone Pickens tweeted out his support in a pair of tweets.
Love direction #okstate football is heading. Best is yet to come.
— T. Boone Pickens (@boonepickens) November 6, 2017
This is a far cry from T. Boone’s reactions in the past, when he had seemingly knocked his head coach for not being able to get over the Oklahoma hump. But he went even further with a letter he shared on social media.
I’m proud of @CoachGundy and #okstate football. Thanks for 1 of the greatest games I’ve ever watched. My heartfelt note to coach… pic.twitter.com/l2yucWFctZ
— T. Boone Pickens (@boonepickens) November 6, 2017
These two have a long and complicated history together, but it seems they both have realized they are right for each other. Gundy-Pickens, or Pickens-Gundy, is kind of like a 30-year marriage with its ups and downs. But after a period of time, egos are set aside, and the two sides understand the benefits to having each other.
Even though Gundy is 2-11 against OU, his job stability is as good as any coach’s in the country. Overall, he coached a good game on Saturday, but simply came up short. With the run that the Sooners have had since Gundy took over the head job, with multiple Big 12 championships, a College Football Playoff trip, and National Championship games, his record isn’t good, but damn, it’s not like this OU program is garbage.
Should he have won a couple more in the rivalry? Yes, he probably should have.
There were single-digit losses in 2010 and 2013, with an overtime loss in 2012, and a game they had a chance to win this weekend. Gundy must also realize that he gets more leeway from most fans because of his longevity and success of taking the Cowboys to levels of success they’ve never achieved, in addition to the fact that he’s an alum. You think if he was head coach at Auburn and went 2-11 against Alabama they’d have kept him around that long? What about Michigan vs. Ohio State?
From the time Mike Gundy became head coach in 2005, the accomplishments of Oklahoma State football have far surpassed any reasonable fan’s expectations. And while the national profile of Oklahoma State football is much higher than it was a year ago, there’s likely only a handful of people who would call it their “Yankees job”. Mike Gundy is one of them. He’s also the most qualified person… oh, and he currently holds the position.
T. Boone and Gundy may not love each other, but they’re starting to realize, they’re right for each other.
