Deion Sanders Shares Honest Thoughts On Oklahoma State Firing Mike Gundy

A staple in the Big 12 Conference since 2005, Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy was relieved of his duties earlier this week amid a 1-2 start to his 21st season.

Many, including Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, were left surprised by Oklahoma State's seemingly disrespectful midseason dismissal of Gundy. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year has long been the Cowboys' winningest head coach in program history (170-90 record) and was seemingly destined to leave on his terms, or at least during an offseason.

However, Gundy's Cowboys limped to a 3-9 record last season and haven't shown much improvement this year, with Saturday's 19-12 loss to Tulsa being the last straw.

Deion Sanders Reacts To Mike Gundy's Firing

Deion Sanders Honest Thoughts Oklahoma State Firing Mike Gundy Colorado Buffaloes Cowboys Big 12 Football Head Coach Boulder — Sep 19, 2025; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy on the sidelines during the first half against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Sanders shared his thoughts on Oklahoma State firing Gundy earlier this week on the "Colorado Football Coaches Show."

"I feel bad for our coach from Oklahoma State," Sanders told jost Mark Johnson. "Mike Gundy is a winner, man. Wasn't he just in the championship a few years ago?"

Johnson then reminded "Coach Prime" that Gundy led OSU to 18 straight bowl games and nearly reached the College Football Playoff just two years ago. Still, Oklahoma State leadership pulled the plug on their most legendary head coach.

"You do that to Mike Gundy? To Mike Gundy?" Sanders said. "If anybody out there that knows him and he gets this message: Coach, I love you, I appreciate you, I respect you. You are a hero to me and I love everything about you. All the meetings that I attended, he sits at the head of the table. He's the Grand Poobah. He's the guy that gives us direction and correction. I love him."

In their lone meeting last year, Sanders led the Buffs to a 52-0 win over Gundy's Cowboys, capping off a winless conference slate for Oklahoma State. Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for five touchdowns that day and cornerbacks Travis Hunter and DJ McKinney each recorded an interception.

Gundy's future is now unclear, although he has expressed interest in returning to coaching.

"I don't know what he's gonna do from here on, but I would just love to pick his brain and learn from him because he's a winner," Sanders said.

MORE: BYU vs. Colorado Score Prediction Signals Upset Alert in Boulder

MORE: Randy Moss’ Mentorship Quietly Transforming Colorado’s Receiver Room

MORE: Shilo Sanders Follows in Prime Time’s Footsteps With 49ers Workout

Deion Sanders and Mike Gundy's Shared Authenticity

As mentioned by Johnson, Sanders and Gundy overlap in their commitment to authenticity. Both do things their own way and pay little attention to others' opinions.

"He's not apologetic," Sanders said. "You can't expect the man to win out like he's been winning when the game has changed and it takes finances now to win. It don't just take good coaching now. It takes good coaching and finances."

With offensive coordinator Doug Meacham taking over as Oklahoma State's interim head coach, the Cowboys will host Baylor on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT.