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Oklahoma State fires Mike Gundy after 21 seasons following fan outrage

September 23rd, 2025

Oklahoma State has fired Mike Gundy in the midst of his 21st season with the team.

Oklahoma State fans let their displeasure be heard as the team lost to Tulsa at home for the first time in 74 years. Tulsa beat Oklahoma State 19-12 on Friday at Boone Pickens Stadium, prompting Cowboys fans to call for Gundy's firing.

Tulsa took a 16-3 lead into halftime, and fans chanted "Fire Gundy" before the first half ended. The chants continued with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, with Tulsa leading 19-12, and the vociferous crowd was heard on the ESPN broadcast.

Oklahoma State beat UT Martin 27-7 in its first game but was demolished by No. 6 Oregon last week, 69-3. The Cowboys are 1-2 to start the season after going 3-9 last year, which followed 18 consecutive seasons, all under Gundy, in which they finished at .500 or better. It was just two seasons ago that the Cowboys were in the Big 12 championship.

Over 21 years and 260 games at Oklahoma State, Gundy has a 170-90 record.

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"Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy's leadership," OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement. "I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football."

Oklahoma State will try to turn it around when it plays the Baylor Bears, who are 2-1, next week at home.

It's a sad turn of events for Gundy, who played quarterback for the Cowboys from 1986 to 1989 and became a fan favorite over his two-plus decades of coaching.

However, a 4-11 record has turned him into public enemy number one.

Oklahoma State was Gundy's first head coaching gig after being the offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2004. He also had stints in Maryland and Baylor in the late 1990s.

Curated By

Maya Gupta
Investigative Journalist | Grassroots Movement Organizer | Economy Consultant/Speaker
Maya Gupta writes from the fault lines of a world that refuses to stay quiet. Focused on the collisions between culture, power, and accountability, her work cuts past polished narratives to expose what’s really moving beneath the surface. From the rise of creator-driven influence to athlete activism and grassroots resistance, she tracks the momentum shaping a generation unwilling to wait its turn. Her reporting doesn’t cater to comfort, it confronts it, challenging institutions that lean on legacy instead of legitimacy. With a voice rooted in urgency and a lens tuned to those often ignored, Maya delivers coverage that reflects the stakes as they are, not as they’re packaged. This is journalism that doesn’t just observe change, it stands in the middle of it, documenting the push, the backlash, and the undeniable shift underway.

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