Oklahoma State Can't Cling to Mike Gundy Era After New Coach Arrives

The Cowboys are ready to begin a new era, but they must be ready to let go of the old one.

Over the past two decades, Oklahoma State has been defined by the leadership of Mike Gundy. That period came to an end just a couple of months ago, but the Cowboys can’t afford to waste time transitioning to their next phase.

Throughout Gundy’s tenure, OSU reached new heights of success and established a new standard for a historically awful program. While Chad Weiberg was adamant about celebrating the accomplishments of the Gundy era in the aftermath of the decision to fire him, OSU can’t sit in the memories of that era and cling to what once was.

Instead, OSU needs to move on and embrace whatever comes next. Sure, the general idea of the “Cowboy culture” should stick around; it’s what has defined the OSU program for decades now. However, that commitment to hard work shouldn’t have to happen within the guidelines of Gundy’s vision any longer.

Whoever OSU hires next needs to have full control over what happens within the program at virtually every level. While it can be dangerous to hand the keys to someone new and give them full control immediately, OSU fired Gundy for a reason, and it was to establish something new in Stillwater.

Over the next few years, the new coach will need to have support at every level, and that includes the blessing to make the program their own. OSU as a brand will always be something shaped by the university itself, but the football program should embody whoever wears the headset on the sideline, with Gundy’s tenure being an excellent example of how successful that can be.

It probably won’t be easy for everyone within the program to adjust to such a change so quickly, but change isn’t supposed to be easy, especially not one of this magnitude. As long as OSU is prepared to take on the challenge, there shouldn’t be much of an issue in transitioning to a new era.

However, if OSU refuses to embrace these challenges and take on the inevitable adversity that is around the corner, the new hire will have no chance to succeed from day one. While it would probably be in the best interest of all parties for the new coach to carry over many of the aspects of how Gundy ran the program, that decision should fully belong to the head coach.