Matt Rhule praises job Mike Gundy has done at Oklahoma State

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has been in coaching for a long time now and has seen a lot of other coaches in action. During that time, one coach who has stood out to him for his ability to do more with less is Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State.

During an appearance on The Herd, Rhule explained why he thinks so highly of Gundy.

“I don’t know him personally very well, but I always thought Mike Gundy did more with not as much as everybody else,” Matt Rhule said. “Never had, like, the four- and five-star recruiting classes, but like, he was gonna find a way to win nine, 10, 11 games every year, and every game that you went into, you know, you thought you were a step ahead of him and then bang, he was a step ahead of you. I think he’s one of the great coaches in college football that doesn’t get nearly enough recognition.”

While Rhule doesn’t know Gundy personally, he has competed against him directly. That goes back to when Rhule was reviving the Baylor program. In those years, Rhule’s Baylor teams were 2-1 against Gundy’s Oklahoma State teams.

The reality for Oklahoma State is that it shares a state with Oklahoma, which has typically garnered more national attention as a program. Because of this, it’s easy for Gundy’s success with the resources available to him to go under the radar.

One reason why Gundy has had so much success in that job is based on how well he understands the program. He played quarterback for the Cowboys, handing the ball off to Barry Sanders during his time there. He quickly became an assistant there following his playing days.

Nebraska has Oklahoma State on the schedule in 2034 and 2035. So, if both Matt Rhule and Mike Gundy are still there then, the two will be able to play a fourth game against one another.

Matt Rhule on the key to finding success in the Big Ten

Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the Cornhuskers have struggled to find consistent success. Now, Matt Rhule believes he has the key to finding more success.

“I think the defenses in the Big Ten do a great job, they just smother you. They’re physical, they keep everything in front of you, they’re built to play in November and December. When you’re in the ACC or SEC, you’re maybe not dealing with the same elements that you’re dealing with in the Big Ten, at least as it stands now. So I think that’s the biggest thing for us,” Rhule said.

“And I think you look at the offensive lineman in the Big Ten, I think it was last year or maybe the year before, the most guys drafted. So you’re looking at big, powerful, physical offensive line, big powerful defenses and it’s a game built for playing in the weather.”