Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy remains cool, even as the pressure rises.
Perhaps that’s because before his Cowboys finished 3-9 last season, he reached a rare level of consistency, posting winning records every year from 2006 to 2023. Gundy's outsized personality is only eclipsed by his overall record of 169-88 in 20 seasons.
The 58-year-old Gundy this year has a team returning just one starter on offense and three on defense, which could be good or bad depending on perspective. Most of the 60-plus
newcomers are experienced transfers. He also overhauled his coaching staff, hiring new offensive and defensive coordinators.
“I’m not concerned,” Gundy said. “There are a bunch of guys running around and making plays, and the talent level is fine. The uncertainty is going to work in the morning and not knowing exactly what is going to happen.”
Things appeared promising for the Cowboys to perhaps have one of their best seasons a year ago before injuries and erratic play left Gundy with perhaps his most disappointing team. Now, the Cowboys will try to bounce back with a new quarterback — holdover Zane Flores or transfer Hauss Hejny.
Flores, a freshman from Gretna, Nebraska, redshirted two years ago and missed last season due to injury. Hejny played for new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham at TCU last season and is known primarily as a dangerous runner.
“We don’t have anybody that’s thrown a pass in a game at this level, so there’s a lot of uncertainty,” Gundy said. “Both guys are doing well, but they’ve got a long way to go, and we’re learning about them just as well as they’re learning the system.”
Ollie Gordon II ran for more than 2,900 yards in his college career and won the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back two seasons ago. Now that he’s playing for the Miami Dolphins, there is a scramble to earn carries.
There appear to be capable replacements. Trent Howland, Sesi Vailahi and Rodney Fields Jr. are back after getting action last season. Kalib Hicks, a transfer from Oklahoma and Freddie Brock, a transfer from Georgia State, are in the mix.
Gundy hired Meacham as offensive coordinator and Todd Grantham as defensive coordinator.
Meacham, a former Oklahoma State offensive lineman, was on the Cowboys' coaching staff from 2005 to 2012. He was an offensive coordinator in 2021 at TCU, and he remained on the Horned Frogs’ staff through last season.
Grantham has been defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL and for Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State and Florida at the college level. He most recently was a defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints last season.
New quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns spent the latter part of last season as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma. Johns also has FBS assistant coaching stops at Duke, Memphis, Texas Tech, Western Michigan, Indiana and Northwestern.
Gundy, a former QB himself and not easily impressed, has great respect for Johns.
“There weren’t many guys when I started calling around and asking about guys -- two or three of them in the country that I thought would be capable of doing it,” Gundy said.
Oklahoma State might have another breakout receiving star. Davis, a redshirt senior, was an AP Division II All-American at Central Oklahoma last season after logging 1,609 yards receiving.
Gundy said Davis has adjusted quickly to the new surroundings.
“He has done really well,” Gundy said. “I would say he has exceeded my expectations just based on my history, and he is very mature.”
The Cowboys open on a Thursday night at home against Tennessee-Martin. The next week, they’ll find out what they’ve got when they visit No. 7 Oregon. Three of the final five games are against ranked opponents – at Texas Tech on Oct. 25, at home against Kansas State on Nov. 15 and at home against Iowa State on Nov. 22.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
