Oklahoma State Receives 'A' Grade for Eric Morris Hire

The Cowboys are getting some love for their coaching decision.

Oct 10, 2025; Denton, Texas, USA; North Texas Mean Green head coach Eric Morris stands on the sidelines against the South Florida Bulls during the second half of a game at DATCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State made a bold move midseason, and it might have been the best decision the program could have made.

Over the past two decades, OSU football had been defined by Mike Gundy. From building up the culture in Stillwater to maintaining one of the top programs in the country, Gundy deserves plenty of credit for where OSU football is today.

However, all good things must come to an end, and that end came suddenly last season when the Cowboys fired Gundy just three games into the year. While the 2025 season itself was an embarrassment for the program, the Cowboys came out on the other side with a much different outlook for the future.

Of course, this new inspiring outlook is a result of hiring Eric Morris after his successful stint at North Texas. After leading the Mean Green to being one win away from a College Football Playoff berth last season, Morris will be taking over in Stillwater and looking to become the next legendary coach for OSU football.

In a recent article grading all 33 FBS head coaching hires this offseason, CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson gave the Cowboys an A for their decision to bring in Morris. Johnson explained his reasoning by explaining how OSU has the capabilities to be a player in the Big 12 in both the short and long terms.

“The Cowboys arguably had the weakest roster in the Power Four last year, but Morris brings quarterback Drew Mestamaker and others with him,” Johnson wrote. “Improvement should be immediate, and promised resources to build around him add optimism.”

The Cowboys weren’t the only team to receive a great grade for their hire, with plenty of other schools around the country making some big moves. Still, OSU’s grade is an example of how well it has set itself up for the future, while still maintaining the ability to go compete in the Big 12 in 2026.

Keeping Gundy around was clearly not an option after a rocky 2024 offseason and a rough start to 2025. However, there was no shortage of candidates for OSU to pick from, and there easily could’ve been some poor decisions made in the process.

While it’s impossible to judge whether Morris was the right guy to hire as of now, it sure looks like he has the program in as good a spot as it could possibly be after a 1-11 season.

---