Mike Gundy’s firing at Oklahoma State was seismic. He was the longest-tenured coach in the Big 12 Conference and had brought the Cowboys unprecedented success.
But the last couple of years has seen the program decline in ways that for OSU were also unprecedented. Back-to-back losses to Oregon and to Tulsa, the latter of which was at home, were the last straw. Now, OSU will hire a new coach for the first time in more than two decades.
For the football program it’s a reset and the end of an era. For whoever the new coach is, it will be an opportunity to turn around a program that should be competitive every year in the new Big 12.
The Oklahoma State coaching search will be a long one. A hire won’t be made until December at the earliest. OSU won’t be in the market for a top coordinator (with two notable exceptions). The Cowboys are likely to seek a sitting head coach. They’re also likely to pursue one with offensive credentials.
Athletic director Chad Weiberg — now that he has a new contract extension — will lead the search. You’ll hear a lot of names connected to the search. Here are 10 that, in my opinion, Oklahoma State should consider.
Alex Golesh, USF Head Coach
He’s rebuilding the Bulls and burnishing his credentials on the national stage. He was a graduate assistant under Gundy at OSU and, more recently, an assistant coach under Matt Campbell at Iowa State. He knows the league. He’s offensive minded. His brand of ball at USF is putting up great numbers. He is 17-13 with the Bulls, but off to a 3-1 start this season.
Collin Klein, Texas A&M Offensive Coordinator
The bloom came off the rose a bit last year. But Texas A&M’s great start has put the spotlight back on the former Kansas State legend. He’ll be a head coach one day. He has Big 12 bona fides. If OSU zeroes in on Klein during their search, this becomes fascinating. Does K-State make a move to push Chris Klieman aside to lure back its prodigal son before he can go somewhere else?
Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator
One of Gundy’s first quarterbacks, he’s earned his stripes in the NFL as a quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator, mostly with the Los Angeles Rams, where he won a Super Bowl ring. He’s the OC with Atlanta and tutoring second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Can the alma mater lure him back to a job that, arguably, has more headaches than NFL OC?
Jon Sumrall, Tulane Head Coach
Sumrall is one of the game’s rising stars. He was linked to North Carolina last year but chose to stay at Tulane. He may have a job in mind. He may not. But entering his fourth season as a head coach he is 35-10 and has never failed to get his program to its conference title game. He’s known for connecting with players and is hawkish when it comes to the transfer portal, something Gundy was not.
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis Head Coach
He’s 46-21 at Memphis and off to a 4-0 start this year. He’s never had a losing season, and the Tigers are 4-1 in bowl games. The only debit is that the Tigers haven’t won a conference title under his leadership. He’s the quintessential worker bee coach. He’s worked at high school, Division II, Division I and the NFL. He’s offensive minded and his program has produced two NFL caliber quarterbacks in the last three years.
Jeff Traylor, UTSA Head Coach
OSU must recruit in Texas and Traylor, a former high school state champion coach and the template for Joey McGuire’s rise to Texas Tech’s top job, has the in-state bona fides. He is 48-22 at UTSA and has turned the program into a consistent winner in two different conferences (two titles in Conference USA). He may be seeking an in-state job, and if Baylor opens up the Bears will be on him fast. But OSU is Texas-adjacent enough for him to listen.
Barry Odom, Purdue Head Coach
You’ll hear his name come up because he has Oklahoma roots. He’s from Lawton, Okla., but spent most of his coaching career at Missouri, so he has some Big 12 knowledge. Based on his work at Mizzou (25-25) he’d be a meh hire. But he did great work turning UNLV into a winner (19-8 in two seasons) and has stabilized Purdue after the departure of Jeff Brohm. He feels like a second-tier option, one OSU settles for if it can’t get its first choice.
Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky Head Coach
He has no Big 12 ties. But his body of work at WKU is impressive. He is 51-33 since he took over in 2019 with a 4-2 bowl record. The Hilltoppers have been to the C-USA title game twice. His brand of offense puts points on the board. His offensive players are in high demand in the transfer portal. Combine that with his work as an OC at both USC and Tennessee and he’s a budding star in the game.
Jason Candle, Toledo Head Coach
Candle replaced Matt Campbell at Toledo, and he never left. He’s an Ohio native so the fact that he’s been with the Rockets for a decade may indicate he’s happy where he’s at. But he is 75-42, has won two MAC titles and played in a third MAC title game. He was the OC under Campbell, so his schemes should play well in the Big 12. He’s just 45 years old and he may be ready for a new challenge.
G.J. Kinne, Texas State Head Coach
It might be too early for the 36-year-old, and he has a new seven-year deal with the Bobcats. But he’s a rising star in the profession who has quickly elevated the program’s profile after the firing of Jake Spavital. He is 31-13 as a coach, including leading FCS Incarnate Word to a Southland title and national semifinal game appearance. Texas State is coming off back-to-back eight-win seasons with bowl victories. He’s another name to watch if OSU doesn’t get its first choice.
