Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy Continues to be Underrated

Oklahoma State is in an interesting spot, but its head coach is ready to lead in any situation.

Over the past two decades, OSU has seen unprecedented success. After being an overlooked program that consistently had losing records, Mike Gundy’s arrival as head coach turned the Cowboys into a nationally relevant team.

With a Big 12 title in 2011 and numerous big games throughout his 20 seasons, Gundy has cemented himself as one of the best head coaches in the conference and the country. However, after winning only three games last season and failing to make a bowl game for the first time since 2005, many have begun to question if Gundy has lost what made him so special as he built up the OSU brand.

Of course, Gundy has a golden opportunity to shift the narratives in Stillwater this upcoming season. With a new coaching staff and a roster filled with newcomers surrounding him, Gundy is ready to make a big splash in 2025.

With that being said, the Cowboys’ head coach might still be getting undersold. In The Athletic’s recent tier ranking of FBS head coaches, Gundy was placed in the third tier, which was tabbed “High-level consistency.”

It’s hard to argue that Gundy is indeed a coach who has seen some high-level consistency. While his 2024 season wasn’t exactly the greatest example of that, his ability to make 18 straight bowl games was a perfect indicator of how impressive Gundy’s career as a head coach has been.

Still underrated?

While Gundy’s inclusion in the third tier makes some sense, his exclusion from the second tier is somewhat mind-boggling, considering some of the names in that spot. While the first tier is occupied by only Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart as “multi-time national champions,” the second tier is considered the spot for “established winners.”

Although Gundy’s level being below names such as James Franklin, Ryan Day or Marcus Freeman makes some sense, a few of the other names make it difficult to justify Gundy’s placement. In that second tier is Gundy’s most comparable coach in Utah’s Kyle Whittingham.

With other names such as Kansas coach Lance Leipold and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, it’s odd that Gundy couldn’t make the cut for tier 2.

Of course, OSU’s coach will be headed into his 21st season at the helm, and at this point, it’s hard to imagine he cares much about what tier the national media puts him into. In any case, the Cowboys have a chance to prove all of the doubters wrong this fall.