After Oklahoma State’s fifth-consecutive loss of the season this past weekend, a 42-21 bludgeoning at the hands of Arizona State, head coach Mike Gundy made the mistake of venting in front of a hot mic.
Gundy spoke out about the fans that are dissatisfied with the football product at Oklahoma State, essentially calling them poor and unable to take care of themselves and their family.
“In most cases, the people who are negative and voicing their opinions are the same ones who can’t pay their own bills,” Gundy said. “They’re not taking care of themselves. They’re not taking care of their own family. They can’t take of their own job.”
Gundy has never been one to mince words, but this particular comment seemed to spark a fire under an already frustrated fan base. On Tuesday night, during the height of the presidential election, Gundy shared a cookie-cutter apology on X,
“I apologize to those who my comments during Monday’s media call offended,” Gundy said on X. “My intent was not to offend any of our fans who have supported us and this program through the years.”
Apparently that wasn’t enough damage control, though, as Oklahoma State president Dr. Kayse Shrum has released a statement on Gundy’s comments.
“OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg and I value the strength created by bringing the OSU family together,” the statement reads. “Coach Gundy’s press conference comments did not reflect the position of the university, and he has subsequently issued a statement to apologize for those offensive remarks.
“We are grateful for the dedicated OSU fans and donors who make our success possible and appreciate their support during this challenging season.”
With the Pokes sitting at 3-6 on the season this is easily the most disappointing year of Gundy’s tenure in Stillwater.
With Ollie Gordon returning, and a total of 21 starters joining him, Oklahoma State was supposed to be a legitimate Big 12 contender this season. In fact, their win total being set at 7.5 felt like a slight back in August. Now, it’s clear that Vegas must’ve known something we didn’t.
With TCU (-12.5) being a double-digit favorite this weekend, plus Texas Tech and Colorado remaining after that, there’s a real chance that OSU goes 0-9 in Big 12 play and finishes with a 3-9 record. That’s certainly not a recipe for a happy fan base, and after dumping gasoline on that fire, it’ll be interesting to see how Gundy and the Cowboys handle their situation going forward.
