Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cassity Brothers to Share the Field in 'Cassity vs. Cassity' Game
September 03, 2021 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – As the sea of orange packs into the Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Oklahoma State football team in its season opener against Missouri State, there will be at least one section of the bleachers wearing white.
Colleen Hartman Rambusch has already declared she will be wearing white to stay neutral, while rooting for both teams. She also will be the only one in the stadium with a son on each sideline when the game kicks off – Braden Cassity, a cowboy back for OSU, and Skyler Cassity, an assistant coach for Missouri State.
"As a mom, I couldn't be more proud of both of them doing what they love to do every day," Hartman Rambusch said. "I'll be a wreck during the Cassity vs. Cassity game, and I'm thinking I'll wear white instead of my normal gameday garb."
The older brother by five years, Skyler is in his second year coaching outside linebackers for the Bears. He began his coaching career earlier than most after his playing days were cut short due to injury. His high school coach, Robert Ingram, allowed him to join the staff as a student coach, which led to Skyler working as a student assistant at Auburn under Gus Malzahn as he completed his undergrad degree.
He moved to Texas following graduation, spending a short time at Texas State as a defensive football intern before being hired by Kliff Kingsbury as a defensive graduate assistant at Texas Tech and then on to Missouri State.
"Skyler has been a 'coach' since he was probably four or five years old. He would line kids up in the neighborhood and make them run his plays and things like that," Hartman Rambusch said. "I would always say when he was little that he would be a teacher or a coach. Skyler is crazy, wicked smart so he thought about being an engineer for a while if coaching didn't work out, but he's always been a coach."
As for Braden, Oklahoma State "couldn't be a better fit" for his sensibilities. It could also be a bit of destiny as the Cassity family has a history of ties to OSU. His father, Mike, was the Cowboys' defensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000, while Colleen worked on the Eddie Sutton Show and Bob Simmons Show and was involved in radio promotions for the OSU men's basketball and football teams.
The 2018 Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year in Texas, Braden was recruited to OSU by Joe Bob Clements and arrived on campus as a defensive end. He transitioned to the offensive side of the ball in 2019 and is now a contributor at cowboy back, which is a hybrid tight end and fullback position in the OSU offense.
The brothers have met on the field twice before while Skyler was at Texas Tech, but this game means a little more to Braden. In 2018, Braden redshirted as a true freshman as Tech defeated OSU in Stillwater and was playing on special teams in the 2019 matchup, which Skyler and the Red Raiders won, again.
With the head-to-head record between the two of them in favor of Skyler, Braden wants this win badly and will have the opportunity to face off against his brother's position group on nearly every offensive play.
"It's more special getting to share the field with him every time," Braden said. "Especially since he was at Tech and beat me my first two years. I have a chip on my shoulder and the intensity is coming."
When the Cowboys and Bears take the field on Saturday, Skyler won't be the only familiar face on the Missouri State sideline for Braden and the rest of the Cassity family. Head coach Bobby Petrino and a few other assistants on his staff coached with Mike Cassity at Louisville where they watched Braden and Skyler grow up.
"It's funny to think that my dad coached under him at Louisville and Western Kentucky," Skyler said. "I was just a little kid in elementary school when my dad took the Louisville defensive coordinator job in 2004. Braden was five. Those were formative years around the Petrino family. My dad has always had the utmost respect for him, and I knew that. Together, we all still talk about how much football knowledge Coach Petrino has and when the opportunity presented itself for me to work for him, it was a no-brainer. As a defensive coach, it sure doesn't hurt going against his offense every day."
While mom just hopes for a pregame hug from her sons, she knows there will be some last-minute smack talk happening. As close as they are, Braden and Skyler talk all the time, whether it's about football, fishing or other aspects of life.
Leading up to this game, though, the talks have avoided the x's and o's of football and more to taking fun shots at each other.
"I've absolutely talked to my brother," Braden said. "We talked ball, not giving anything away though. We've had some smack talk. He's sent me pictures of me on film and said I needed to do more bicep curls and things like that."
The smack talk will end Saturday night under the bright lights of Boone Pickens Stadium as the pair will focus on their respective teams and their performances, but for the rest of the Cassity family who will be in attendance, the anticipation is mounting.
"Cowboy Backs vs. outside linebackers in this Cassity vs. Cassity game," Hartman Rambusch said. "Oh my. Head-to-head. I wish it was gameday already."
Colleen Hartman Rambusch has already declared she will be wearing white to stay neutral, while rooting for both teams. She also will be the only one in the stadium with a son on each sideline when the game kicks off – Braden Cassity, a cowboy back for OSU, and Skyler Cassity, an assistant coach for Missouri State.
"As a mom, I couldn't be more proud of both of them doing what they love to do every day," Hartman Rambusch said. "I'll be a wreck during the Cassity vs. Cassity game, and I'm thinking I'll wear white instead of my normal gameday garb."
The older brother by five years, Skyler is in his second year coaching outside linebackers for the Bears. He began his coaching career earlier than most after his playing days were cut short due to injury. His high school coach, Robert Ingram, allowed him to join the staff as a student coach, which led to Skyler working as a student assistant at Auburn under Gus Malzahn as he completed his undergrad degree.
He moved to Texas following graduation, spending a short time at Texas State as a defensive football intern before being hired by Kliff Kingsbury as a defensive graduate assistant at Texas Tech and then on to Missouri State.
"Skyler has been a 'coach' since he was probably four or five years old. He would line kids up in the neighborhood and make them run his plays and things like that," Hartman Rambusch said. "I would always say when he was little that he would be a teacher or a coach. Skyler is crazy, wicked smart so he thought about being an engineer for a while if coaching didn't work out, but he's always been a coach."
As for Braden, Oklahoma State "couldn't be a better fit" for his sensibilities. It could also be a bit of destiny as the Cassity family has a history of ties to OSU. His father, Mike, was the Cowboys' defensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000, while Colleen worked on the Eddie Sutton Show and Bob Simmons Show and was involved in radio promotions for the OSU men's basketball and football teams.
The 2018 Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year in Texas, Braden was recruited to OSU by Joe Bob Clements and arrived on campus as a defensive end. He transitioned to the offensive side of the ball in 2019 and is now a contributor at cowboy back, which is a hybrid tight end and fullback position in the OSU offense.
The brothers have met on the field twice before while Skyler was at Texas Tech, but this game means a little more to Braden. In 2018, Braden redshirted as a true freshman as Tech defeated OSU in Stillwater and was playing on special teams in the 2019 matchup, which Skyler and the Red Raiders won, again.
With the head-to-head record between the two of them in favor of Skyler, Braden wants this win badly and will have the opportunity to face off against his brother's position group on nearly every offensive play.
"It's more special getting to share the field with him every time," Braden said. "Especially since he was at Tech and beat me my first two years. I have a chip on my shoulder and the intensity is coming."
When the Cowboys and Bears take the field on Saturday, Skyler won't be the only familiar face on the Missouri State sideline for Braden and the rest of the Cassity family. Head coach Bobby Petrino and a few other assistants on his staff coached with Mike Cassity at Louisville where they watched Braden and Skyler grow up.
"It's funny to think that my dad coached under him at Louisville and Western Kentucky," Skyler said. "I was just a little kid in elementary school when my dad took the Louisville defensive coordinator job in 2004. Braden was five. Those were formative years around the Petrino family. My dad has always had the utmost respect for him, and I knew that. Together, we all still talk about how much football knowledge Coach Petrino has and when the opportunity presented itself for me to work for him, it was a no-brainer. As a defensive coach, it sure doesn't hurt going against his offense every day."
While mom just hopes for a pregame hug from her sons, she knows there will be some last-minute smack talk happening. As close as they are, Braden and Skyler talk all the time, whether it's about football, fishing or other aspects of life.
Leading up to this game, though, the talks have avoided the x's and o's of football and more to taking fun shots at each other.
"I've absolutely talked to my brother," Braden said. "We talked ball, not giving anything away though. We've had some smack talk. He's sent me pictures of me on film and said I needed to do more bicep curls and things like that."
The smack talk will end Saturday night under the bright lights of Boone Pickens Stadium as the pair will focus on their respective teams and their performances, but for the rest of the Cassity family who will be in attendance, the anticipation is mounting.
"Cowboy Backs vs. outside linebackers in this Cassity vs. Cassity game," Hartman Rambusch said. "Oh my. Head-to-head. I wish it was gameday already."
Players Mentioned
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