Former OSU Coach Mike Gundy to Make National Championship Appearance on ESPN
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Mike Gundy is making his return to college football… sort of.
On Thursday, ESPN announced that the former Oklahoma State coach will be a part of its Coaches Film Room broadcast for the national championship game. Indiana and Miami are set to match up on Monday to crown the next national champion.
With Gundy in the mix, he’ll be able to provide one of the most unique perspectives of any coach in the country after spending over two decades in the same role. Of course, his time with the Pokes came to an abrupt ending after losing to Tulsa at home in the third game of the 2025 campaign.
His time in Stillwater has already etched him as an OSU legend for the rest of his life, and it’s hard to imagine much more time will pass before Gundy is immortalized in or around Boone Pickens Stadium in some respect. For now, Gundy is getting some time off for the first time in decades during the football season and recruiting periods, and he’ll be putting his knowledge of the game on display for the country to see during the biggest game of the year.
Since his firing, Gundy hasn’t said much publicly, but he might provide a little insight into what he’s been doing since getting fired and how he felt about the process. Of course, anyone who was around the Cowboy football program over the past 20 years would know that Gundy isn’t exactly shy about saying what’s on his mind, so there are sure to be some fun moments on the broadcast.
For OSU fans tuning in, they’ll likely be hoping to hear some fun stories from his long tenure in Stillwater, and surely there’ll be some moments where Gundy is asked about his thoughts on the direction of the football program he spent over half of his life with. On the other hand, Gundy’s time on the air could be a great audition for him in a couple of aspects.
If he wants to get back into coaching, it would be a fun way for him to show his knowledge in front of a national audience and get his name circulating in upcoming coaching searches. Of course, it might be just as likely that this is the first of many TV appearances for Gundy, whether it be for ESPN or another network, given how he likely projects to be a natural in front of the camera.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.