Josh Pate delivered a heated reaction to Mike Gundy’s firing on Josh Pate’s College Football Show, offering a brutally honest take on what led to the end of one of the most enduring tenures in Oklahoma State history. Pate began by acknowledging Gundy’s body of work: from 2006 through 2023, the Cowboys posted a winning record every season. “Just an incredible run,” he said. However, he argued that this legacy ultimately led to a messy conclusion.
Pate claimed Gundy’s final season showed signs of disengagement. He said people close to the program told him behind the scenes that it was “a complete disaster” and that the administration strong-armed Gundy into a pay cut, a move that was supposed to support the program’s NIL fund but allegedly never materialized. According to Pate, staffers quietly exited when they could, and Gundy carried himself like someone already checked out. He said the coach was on “autopilot,” carrying the burden of expectations and unresolved internal tension.
One of Pate’s more controversial assertions is that Gundy was denied the chance to retire on his own terms. Sources reportedly told him that instead of offering Gundy a chance to finish the season at will, the administration forced a sudden transition. He painted a picture of personal and institutional conflict, saying that Gundy “wasn’t getting along with anyone in the administration,” a detail long whispered in Oklahoma State circles. He said the animosity was mutual.
Despite the conflict, Pate stressed that Gundy is unlikely to walk away from coaching forever. He cited insights from those close to the former coach, saying Gundy plans to get back into the game. “Football coaches are put on this earth to coach,” Pate said, “Coach till you’re 100 for all I care.” At the same time, he admitted he hopes Gundy takes time off, imagining an unfiltered Gundy in the media would make for must-see television.
Pate’s comments give depth to what has otherwise been covered as a standard coaching change. He frames the ending of Gundy’s era not as a failure of legacy but as a failure of management, misalignment, and broken expectations. Now, Oklahoma State must grapple with not just finding a successor but handling the aftermath of a departure that many believe should never have escalated this way.
