The Mike Gundy Era At Oklahoma State

STILLWATER – Mike Gundy is a true Cowboy.

The 2015 season marks his 25^th year at Oklahoma State and his 11^th as head coach. He is perhaps the most impactful figure over a long period of time in OSU football history.

During his playing days, Gundy was a standout quarterback and left OSU in 1989 as the Big Eight Conference's all-time leader in both passing (8,473 yards) and total offense (8,272 yards). With Gundy starting at quarterback, the Cowboys compiled a 20-4 record from 1987-88. In 1986, The Sporting News tabbed him as the nation's most outstanding freshman quarterback after he set an NCAA record for most passes to start a career without an interception (138). He was also recognized as the Big Eight Conference newcomer of the year that season.

Gundy's name still figures prominently in the OSU record books, as he trails only Brandon Weeden on OSU's career lists for pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing yards per game. He's also in the top three in school history in single-season pass efficiency and yards per pass attempt as well as appearing in OSU's top three in career passing touchdowns and total offense. His dismantling of Wyoming in the 1988 Holiday Bowl (20-of-24 passing for 315 yards and two interceptions) remains a school record for completion percentage in a bowl game.

The 1989 season was Gundy's last as a player and after earning his degree in secondary education with an emphasis in social studies, he was immediately given a full-time job as an assistant coach on Pat Jones's staff.

He coached the Cowboy receivers in 1990 before moving on to coach the OSU quarterbacks from 1991-93. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1994 and also served in that role during Jones's final year of 1995. Gundy moved on to coach receivers and serve as passing game coordinator at Baylor in 1996 before spending 1997-2000 on staff at Maryland. He returned to Stillwater in 2001 and served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator under Les Miles from 2001-04. In January of 2005, Gundy was elevated to head coach.

As head coach, Gundy has brought Oklahoma State to a consistent level of national prominence. Consider the following:

* The Cowboys were outright Big 12 champions in 2011 and Gundy was honored by the Football Writers Association of America as the national coach of the year that season – just one year after he had been honored as 2010 Big 12 coach of the year.

* Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in six of the last seven seasons and has posted 10-win seasons three of the last five years. Only once has OSU finished lower than third in the Big 12 since 2009.

* The Cowboys have won 37 games in the last four years and 48 games in the last five.

* Gundy has led the Cowboys to a 41-19 record against Big 12 opposition since 2008, a mark that is good for second-best in the conference during that span.

* The Cowboys rank 10th nationally with 66 wins since the beginning of the 2008 season.

* OSU has scored four victories over teams ranked in the Associated Press top 10 since 2008.

* OSU's current streak of nine straight bowl games is the best in the history of the program.

* From 2011-14, Oklahoma State has taken care of its home turf, compiling a 21-4 record in Boone Pickens Stadium.

* OSU set the top five single-season attendance records in school history in the last six seasons, including a record average of 59,126 in 2013.

* Eighteen Gundy-era Cowboys have been drafted into the NFL, with six of those 18 chosen in the first round.

* While still under the age of 50, Gundy's coaching tree has already blossomed. Former Gundy coordinators include Illinois head coach Tim Beckman, North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen and Southern Miss head coach Todd Monken. Other notable former Gundy assistants include TCU offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.

* Eye-popping point totals have become the norm, with the Cowboys scoring 50 or more points 27 times, 60 or more points eight times and 70 or more points twice under Gundy.

Gundy enters the 2015 season with a career coaching record of 84-44 (.656 pct.), which is made more impressive by the fact that prior to him taking over as head coach in 2005, OSU was 473-492 all-time (.490 pct.)

For further perspective on that, Gundy's 84 coaching victories at Oklahoma State rank him 12^th nationally among all coaches at their current school. Only Frank Beamer – entering his 35^th year at his alma mater of Virginia Tech – has won more games at his alma mater than Gundy has at Oklahoma State.

A big part of why Gundy has been successful at Oklahoma State is that he knows the culture of the people and the organization as well as anyone. Ask any of his current or former players and they'll tell you that a typical post-practice speech from Gundy has more to do with succeeding in life than it does with succeeding in football. He consistently preaches a message of the importance of hard work and treating others with respect.

Just like a true Cowboy.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Related Videos