“Thank You For Being The Standard I’ll Always Chase”- Mike Gundy’s Son Pens Heartfelt Message After His Father Was Fired From Oklahoma State

A beautiful tribute looking back on all the good of his career. Yesterday, Oklahoma State University announced that it was parting ways with head football coach Mike Gundy, days before his Big 12 opener against Baylor University, marking his 21st season with the program. The news was heartbreaking for football fans everywhere, as Gundy was an integral part of the Cowboy football program over the last two decades and is an iconic college football coach who is well respected across all conferences. View […] The post “Thank You For Being The Standard I’ll Always Chase”- Mike Gundy’s Son Pens Heartfelt Message After His Father Was Fired From Oklahoma State first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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“Thank You For Being The Standard I’ll Always Chase”- Mike Gundy’s Son Pens Heartfelt Message After His Father Was Fired From Oklahoma State

A beautiful tribute looking back on all the good of his career.

Yesterday, Oklahoma State University announced that it was parting ways with head football coach Mike Gundy, days before his Big 12 opener against Baylor University, marking his 21st season with the program.

The news was heartbreaking for football fans everywhere, as Gundy was an integral part of the Cowboy football program over the last two decades and is an iconic college football coach who is well respected across all conferences.

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This decision comes after the Cowboys lost to Tulsa, which marked the first victory Tulsa had over Oklahoma State since 1998 and the school’s first win at OSU since 1951.

Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement:

“Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy’s leadership. I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football.”

The decision also comes after Gundy publicly stated that he intended to remain the fearless leader of the Pokes beyond the 2025 season.

“I’m under contract, here, for I think 3½ years. When I was hired here to take this job, ever since that day, I’ve put my heart and soul into this, and I will continue to do that until, at some point, if I say I don’t want to do it or if somebody else says we don’t want you to do it.”

The university’s choice to fire Gundy results in Oklahoma State owing him $15 million.

This news is shocking to college football fans everywhere, as Gundy is the second-longest Football Bowl Subdivision head coach. He’s had an incredible run with the Cowboys. However, the Cowboys have been on a downward spiral since the end of the 2023 season. While this news is not shocking to Oklahoma State fans, it is heartbreaking to see it happen mid-season and to think about Gundy’s famed mullet no longer being the face of Cowboy football.

While many folks would be bitter about this chapter coming to a close, Gundy’s eldest son, Gavin, is turning this situation upside down and looking at it from a glass-half-full perspective. Gavin Gundy took to social media after the news broke to share his feelings surrounding the situation and to shout from the rooftops how proud he is to be Mike Gundy’s son.

The heartfelt tribute shines light on all the incredible moments from his time playing for OSU to coaching on the sideline, and the words he speaks are exactly how Gundy should be remembered to all Cowboys fans.

“It’s been a long couple hours since the news that my dad, Mike Gundy, is no longer the head coach at Oklahoma State. Even saying that out loud still doesn’t feel real. For my entire life, he’s been the face of Cowboy football — the constant presence on the sideline, the voice in the locker room, and the man who turned OSU into a program that always mattered.

Before he ever wore the headset, he was already Cowboy football. From 1986–1989, he started four straight years at QB, winning 28 games and leaving as the Big Eight’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. He threw to Hart Lee Dykes, handed off to Barry Sanders, and ran an offense people are still talking about decades later. He wasn’t just part of OSU history — he made it.

As a coach, his résumé is unmatched. 170 wins — the most in school history. 12 bowl victories. A Big 12 South title in 2010 and the program’s first and only Big 12 Championship in 2011. 18 consecutive bowl appearances from 2006–2023. Eight 10-win seasons, two 12-win seasons, 10 ranked finishes, and 5 Top-15 finishes. For 17 straight years, Oklahoma State appeared in the AP Top 25. That kind of consistency doesn’t ‘just happen.’ He was named Big 12 Coach of the Year three times, won both the Eddie Robinson and Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant National Coach of the Year awards in 2011, and in 2021 was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Not bad for a program that people once claimed ‘couldn’t sustain greatness.’

But the legacy goes far beyond numbers. I saw the sacrifice up close — the holidays missed, the family moments that had to wait, the pressure he carried year after year, all because he loved OSU enough to give it everything he had. I saw thousands of players leave his program as better men because he demanded toughness, loyalty, and accountability from them. That impact will outlast the records.

As his son, I couldn’t be prouder. Dad, thank you for showing me what resilience, loyalty, and commitment really mean. Thank you for being the standard I’ll always chase. Oklahoma State may hire another coach, but there will never be another Mike Gundy.”

Although Gundy might no longer be on the sidelines, pushing the Pokes toward victory, I am sure that he will always remain loyal and true.

A truly heartbreaking end to an era.