Nick Saban doesn't hold back on Mike Gundy's exit from Oklahoma State

Few can offer an insight into coaches (and their jobs) like a recent former coach, and when the former coach is ESPN analyst Nick Saban, ears around the sport perk up. On College GameDay, Saban discussed the departure of Oklahoma State boss Mike Gundy following a disappointing 1-2 start off a 3-9 2024 season.

Saban's thoughts

Some people have a tougher time embracing the whole idea of paying players, especially some of us old timers. It's a little more difficult. Mike Gundy has been a great coach for a long time. Coaching is teaching, and teaching is ability to inspire learning. For those of us who kind of get that and that's been our self-gratification for so many years, embracing paying the players has been a little bit harder, and I think that ultimately is what got them at Oklahoma State.
Nick Saban

Certainly, if Saban's points are accurate, Gundy will be neither the first nor last coach to struggle with that transition. Saban seemingly includes himself in the group and Clemson's Dabo Swinney is another big-name coach who seems to have struggled with the same transition in college football culture.

Gundy took over at Oklahoma State in 2005 and after an inaugural 4-7 season, did not post another losing season until 2024. Eight 10+ win seasons were amassed during that interim, including two years in which Gundy's team finished in the top ten of both major polls (which would likely have earned CFP spots in the modern set-up).

There is more than circumstantial evidence to some issues of culture-adaptation struggles for Gundy. His 2024 transfer portal class ranked just 14th in 247sports' portal rankings. Oklahoma State also had not added a four-star recruit since 2022 per 247's rankings.

But off a 1-2 start, Oklahoma State has decided to move on. Despite a 170-90 ranking, the 58-year old Gundy is on the move. Nick Saban wasn't shy in pointing out the problem which he beleives hampered Oklahoma State.