Mike Gundy is out at Oklahoma State: Top candidates, transfers, recruits to watch

Oklahoma State knew this time was coming.

Coach Mike Gundy had hardly escaped 2024 with his job, aft a winless Big 12 run that crashed retired with a 52-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Colorado. Gundy replaced his full coaching unit and entered this play with a tenuous backmost situation, which became much dire aft starter Hauss Hejny broke his ft successful the opener. Normally, situations similar Oklahoma State's don't extremity well, adjacent for a manager arsenic synonymous with the programme arsenic Gundy.

The team's archetypal home nonaccomplishment to Tulsa since 1951 spelled the extremity for Gundy, who was fired connected Tuesday. Gundy is the winningest manager successful Oklahoma State history, and led his alma mater to 9 AP top-20 finishes betwixt 2008 and 2021. But the programme fell disconnected sharply aft 2023, and volition present reset.

When Oklahoma and Texas near the Big 12, Gundy thought Oklahoma State was positioned to perchance beryllium the league's caller kingpin. But the league has changed, schools similar Texas Tech are making large investments and Oklahoma State's aboriginal looks murky. Still, Oklahoma State has immoderate definite plusses, including a past of winning that Gundy molded.

Candidates | Transfers

Five candidates for the job

UTSA manager Jeff Traylor: Two years ago, Traylor would beryllium a slam-dunk prosecute for Oklahoma State, and inactive mightiness be. He was connected the radar for higher-profile jobs similar Texas A&M aft starring UTSA to 23 wins and consecutive Conference USA titles from 2021 to 2022. A four-time Texas authorities precocious schoolhouse manager of the twelvemonth astatine Gilmer High, wherever helium won 3 authorities titles, Traylor remains 1 of the astir connected and respected coaches successful Texas. He served arsenic a assemblage adjunct astatine Texas, SMU and Arkansas earlier coming to UTSA, wherever he's 48-22 and has won consecutive vessel games. The lone imaginable interest is whether the 57-year-old's banal has cooled a spot arsenic UTSA is 9-8 since the commencement of the 2024 season.

Texas State manager G.J. Kinne: If Oklahoma State wants a reset with a young, rising prima manager with an violative inheritance and ties to the state, Kinne makes a batch of sense. The 36-year-old starred astatine backmost for Tulsa, winning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year honors and finishing with 9,472 passing yards and 81 touchdowns. After a pro career, Kinne began coaching and moved up quickly, parlaying coordinator jobs astatine Hawai'i and UCF into his archetypal caput occupation astatine Incarnate Word. He's 19-11 arsenic a assemblage coach, brings an breathtaking benignant of play and knows the portion good arsenic a Texas autochthonal and lad of a precocious schoolhouse coach.

Texas A&M violative coordinator Collin Klein: If Oklahoma State is unfastened to a first-time caput coach, Klein would beryllium a cleanable candidate. The Pokes besides could harm a chap Big 12 rival successful Kansas State, wherever Klein thrived arsenic a backmost -- finishing 3rd successful Heisman Trophy voting successful 2012 earlier moving up the ranks rapidly arsenic a coach. He coached Kansas State quarterbacks from 2016 to 2023 and served arsenic violative coordinator successful his last 2 seasons earlier leaving for the aforesaid relation astatine Texas A&M. After an up-and-down 2024 season, the Aggies discourtesy is thriving nether Klein's enactment and could beryllium a campaigner to instrumentality to his alma mater astatine immoderate point. The 36-year-old knows the Big 12 and the portion precise good and would acceptable precise good successful Stillwater.

North Texas manager Eric Morris: He's a small older than Kinne astatine 39 but has walked a akin way arsenic a Texas autochthonal who built his estimation arsenic an violative coach. Morris is from the Mike Leach/Air Raid tree, having played wide receiver for Leach astatine Texas Tech and aboriginal coaching nether him some with the Red Raiders and successful 2022 astatine Washington State, wherever helium served arsenic violative coordinator. He preceded Kinne astatine Incarnate Word, doubly reaching the FCS playoffs, and has shown his quality to place and make players astatine North Texas, which is 4-0 this autumn aft reaching a vessel crippled successful 20...