When Mike Gundy took over at Oklahoma State back in 2005, things were a lot different in Stillwater. The program had a little success before his arrival under Les Miles, but by no means were they considered a top-tier program in the Big 12.
Fast forward 20 years, and Oklahoma State is one of the premier jobs in the conference. Since Gundy’s arrival, Oklahoma State has not just been one of the most consistent winning programs in the Big 12, but the entire country.
Mike Gundy’s Tenure
It took a couple of years for Mike Gundy to get things rolling, but when he did, it was a thing of beauty. From 2008 to 2017, Oklahoma State had eight seasons where they won at least nine games. Six of those eight had at least ten wins, and it also included a conference championship back in 2011.
However, since 2018, things have been a little more unstable. While Gundy added two more ten-plus win seasons to his resume, including two Big 12 championship game appearances, there were also some struggles mixed in.
2024’s Debacle
One of those was last season when the Cowboys finished with a 3-9 record. All three of those wins came in the non-conference slate as they went winless in Big 12 play for the first time in over 30 years. It was by far the most disappointing season since Mike Gundy took over.
What made last season even more frustrating was the fact that they were expected to compete for a Big 12 title. They had a veteran quarterback returning with Alan Bowman, a star running back, an experienced offensive line, and plenty of weapons to work with. And on top of that, a very respectable defense.
Instead of competing for a conference crown, they completely fell apart by the time Big 12 play came around. The offense was lifeless with a quarterback competition going on during the season, and the defensive effort I witnessed was some of the worst I have ever seen.
Oklahoma State’s New Faces
But this is a new season, which means a brand-new opportunity for Mike Gundy. If you look around at the 2025 Oklahoma State Cowboys, you are going to see a lot of new faces, not just on the field but on the sidelines as well.
Mike brought in almost an entirely new coaching staff and 60 new players. The offense doesn’t bring back a single starter from last season, and there will be a quarterback battle going on in fall camp between Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores. And neither one of those two has thrown a pass yet.
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The defense does have a couple of returners from 2024, but almost everyone on that side of the ball is new. All I know is that it can’t be worse than what I saw last season.
When you look across the board from top to bottom with this Oklahoma State team, it’s clear that they used the transfer portal heavily this offseason with so many new faces. Perhaps no team in the entire country is going to be more dependent on transfers than Oklahoma State will be this season.
All I know is that while this team remains a mystery, expectations outside of the building in Stillwater are relatively low. And if there is one thing I know about Mike Gundy from covering him, it’s that he does his best work when you least expect him to. Sure, he may be getting older, and he may have a little more gray in that hair of his, but you can never count the man out. There’s a reason why he is considered one of the best, not just in the Big 12 but in the entire country. And this season, he has a chance to prove everyone wrong once again.
