Mike Gundy Gave Oklahoma State Plenty of Love in TV Studio Debut

The former Oklahoma State head football coach made his in-studio analyst debut with TNT on Saturday and was asked about his time with the Cowboys.

Former Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The question was going to come up. It was unavoidable for Mike Gundy.

The former Oklahoma State head coach was in the TNT studio on Saturday as an analyst for the pre-game and post-game show ahead of the Arizona-West Virginia game. It was his first appearance on a college football pre-game or post-game show since his firing last year after more than 20 years as OSU’s head coach.

But the Cowboys are more than that for Gundy, who played there and was an assistant coach there before he took over as head coach.

He was asked about his feelings about being in a studio and not on a sideline — specifically the OSU sideline he stalked for decades.

Mike Gundy on Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy had a chance to talk about his time at Oklahoma State during his TNT studio debut on Saturday. #GoPokes #Big12FB pic.twitter.com/B8uQxWz1ZS

— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) October 10, 2026

His appreciation for his time at OSU was clear during the near one-minute he spent talking about it.

“We had been very fortunate to be there a long time,” Gundy said. “I came there in 1986 as a player, and Oklahoma State was good enough to give me a scholarship, get a degree, nice enough to make me a coach and eventually as a head coach. The fondest memories of my life. And just, great people, great organization. Stillwater, Oklahoma, is a beautiful place. And memories of a lifetime. And very, very thankful for Oklahoma State. And excited about what they’re doing now.”

He wore orange in the studio, and he said that wasn’t by accident.

Gundy has made appearances on television from time to time, including as a guest analyst on the coaches broadcast during the College Football Playoff championship game. He drew high marks from critics for his work on those shows.

But he reportedly turned down both weekend studio assignments with ESPN and game analyst assignments with Fox earlier this year. So Saturday’s time in the studio was a first this season and it’s not clear if it will be a regular gig for Gundy.  

Gundy was dismissed after three games last season, during which the Cowboys went 1-2. But, OSU went 4-11 in his final 15 games since the start of the 2024 season. Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris in December to replace him. This is the first year since 1989 that Gundy hasn't been a coach in some capacity.

Gundy went 170-90 as head coach, taking OSU to its only Big 12 title in 2011 and leading them to 18 straight bowl games.