Oklahoma State AD Explains Why Cowboys Fired Mike Gundy Three Games Into Season

Gundy, the winningest coach in program history, spent 21 seasons pacing the sidelines for Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys on Tuesday parted ways with Gundy, the winningest coach in program history. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tuesday ushered in the end of an era in Stillwater, Okla.

After 20-plus seasons coaching the Oklahoma State Cowboys, coach Mike Gundy was fired just three games into the 2025 season, in which the Cowboys have started a disappointing 1-2.

Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg spoke to reporters and explained when he knew it was time for a change in leadership of the football program.

"I expected the results of this season to be different than they've been so far," Weiberg said Tuesday. "That goes back to the expectation level that Coach Gundy has set for this program.

"We have higher expectations than that, so when it just appeared that that was not going to be met, it felt like for the good of the program it was time to make this decision so that we could start the process of getting the program where we want it to be."

Gundy and the Cowboys got off to a strong start to the campaign, opening up the season with a 27-7 win over UT Martin. But the wheels fell off against sixth-ranked Oregon, as the motivated Ducks destroyed the Cowboys 69-3 en route to the worst loss in the Gundy era. Then, Gundy and Oklahoma State followed up the drubbing with the program's first loss to Tulsa since 1998, a game Weiberg told reporters he had expected the Cowboys to win.

Offensive coordinator Doug Meacham was named the interim head coach, but Weiberg said he intends to lead the search for Gundy's long-term successor. Gundy is owed a $15 million buyout from the university, per the terms of his contract.

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