Mike Gundy assesses where Oklahoma State stands after his restructured contract

Following Oklahoma State‘s 3-9 finish in 2024, head coach Mike Gundy’s contract was restructured to include several notable amendments. Among those includes no rollover provision, a lower buyout and an eventual succession plan.

Gundy will begin the first season of a four-year deal worth $6.75 million annually which includes a $125,000 per year escalator. While his deal runs through 2028, Gundy reaffirmed his longstanding commitment to the Cowboys program moving forward.

“One thing to remember is that I’ve been fortunate enough to be the head coach for now going on 21 years, and we’ve had 19 winning seasons in a row,” Gundy said on stage at Big 12 Media Days. “We’ve played a really high level of college football. For the majority of those years, we could have beaten any team in the country on any given day at any time.

“We have to go through a little bit of a rebuilding phase this year. One because we needed to upgrade in certain areas and the other because we lost a large number of veteran players last year.

In an era where the transfer portal and NIL rule college athletics, the Cowboys brought in just eight players from the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2024 season. Albeit, they only lost 10 players to the portal.

This season, Gundy and his staff have hit the transfer portal hard. Acquiring the No. 29 overall portal class this cycle, they’ve jumped 31 spots from their final ranking (60th) in 2024. Oklahoma State is also bringing in a top-50 recruiting class.

“We were going to have to so-called rebuild anyway. We were prepared for that,” Gundy continued. “The changes in how we go about rebuilding, whether it’s financially or roster management, have been challenging but also intriguing. It’s something new. It’s different than it’s ever been before in my 21 years as a head coach.”

Oklahoma State’s rebuild in 2024 saw them finish with the lowest winning percentage (25%) of Gundy’s tenure and lowest overall since the Cowboys’ winless season in 1991. This came after a 2023 season which saw Gundy’s team amass 10 victories after defeating Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl.

Looking to avoid a similar result this fall, Oklahoma State will begin its 2025 season at home against UT Martin on Thursday, Aug. 28. However, they’re set for a major test in Week 2 when they travel to Eugene, Oregon to take on the Ducks inside Autzen Stadium.