Mike Gundy believes mental, physical toughness is lacking in new generation

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has never been shy to share his opinion on issues on and off the field throughout his tenure, becoming known as much for his outspoken takes as his mullet or winning brand of football. During Big 12 media day, he took time to speak on the new generation of players and how the Cowboys culture separates itself.

During an appearance on the set with ESPN, Mike Gundy shared that the young generation does not possess mental and physical toughness, but that his program instills those traits in every member.

“Our culture is built on toughness,” said Gundy. “This is a tough man’s game. Mental and physical toughness is a big issue with young people today. Kids are the same, but they’ve been raised differently in my opinion. My dad is 83-years old and he tells me all the time, ‘You raise your boys different than I raised you.’ And this generation is not tough because of that.

“So we hang our hat on being mentally and physically tough. We’re going to push, we’re going to work hard. Our practices are going to be hard, it is what it is. We feel like that’s how we win games.”

While his comments will certainly cause both backlash and support from people across college football, Gundy’s point to focus on building tough football players has paid off on the field in recent years with a consistent spot inside the Top 25.

Creating toughness at Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy is committed to creating a tough football team at Oklahoma State, which he has consistently accomplished over the past several years. With added fuel in the minds of his players coming back from a heartbreaking Big 12 championship game loss which could have held them out of a potential College Football Playoff spot, there is no doubt the mentality will continue.

However, things become slightly complicated by the offseason departure of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who now holds the same title at Ohio State. The Cowboys quickly made a move to replace him, bringing in former Auburn defensive coordinator and Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason.

With many key contributors back to lead the cultural charge and provide an example for the new players, Oklahoma State is primed to make another push toward its first College Football Playoff bid this season in a Big 12 conference featuring plenty parity across the board.