Gundy Not in Trouble….restructuring

[zone2poke]

The reality is that Gundy has said multiple things this year that a coach should never say. First, he said that he'd driven while he was drunk a 1,000 times before the season started and then he called fans that had legitimate criticisms of the team's on-field performance losers. You can't call fans losers and then ask those same fans for NIL money and you can't say you've driven drunk on a frequent basis when you are the coach of a team that's directly tied to an academic institution. He deserves the repercussions he's receiving right now, especially given how abysmal the team was this year. Maybe it will finally knock him down a peg and make him stop thinking that he's bigger than OSU and completely untouchable. He's been hurting OSU's image with his antics.

I hope this is a wake-up call and Gundawg takes the way back machine to 2011 and championship football. But the reality is that arrogant people rarely change, and when they do, it's only superficially.

I was really ready to turn the page and ready for Chad to find us another Lutz-like coach. But this is where we are and I hope Gundawg is incredibly successful once again.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

We’re up in arms when a former player, who rarely saw the field and left two plus years ago, makes overarching assertions, none of which can be backed up/confirmed.

But when players, both current and former, come out in support of him, it apparently doesn’t matter.

Clownish

That same player that alleged Gundy made the comment made an insinuation in the same post that not only would he have stayed at OSU had Dunn not been such a terrible coach/person but no one would have transferred.

So the head coach who sets the culture is alleged to have said something really vile but you were willing to ignore that and stay except Dunn was so bad. And you weren’t even on the same side of the ball as Dunn.

Not saying any of what he alleged isn’t true. Don’t know. Wasn’t in the room at any time.

 

[aggiejet]

What is the status now of the position coaches? A lot of them need to follow the coordinators out the door.

I heard that Gundy had told all coaches they would be interviewed by the replacement OC and DC to determine their respective positions. But that was earlier in the week. Gawd knows what internally is going on now.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

I think the coordinators are the key. They need to be good with scheme, but also in the portal. If they do well there, then there's a chance next year.

I think the problem Gundy ran into w the portal is part him and part us and they go hand in hand.

First the us part. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that absolutely hate the portal and NIL. Basically “No way a 20 yr old college kid should get paid xxx thousand dollars to play.” Or “There’s no more loyalty in college football any more.” I’m not disagreeing that there isn’t a kernel of truth in both of those although I do think college athletes should get paid some money. If every season ticket sold had $10/month attached to it for NIL that would be $5.4MM/yr. Still way short of what we need by maybe a factor of 3 or 4 to compete consistently for championships. Personally I hope everyone is giving at least $10 a month to OSU NIL. I also get that people aren’t happy w Gundy and won’t give to NIL.

Next the Mike part. 2023 spoiled him. He had little to no money for NIL. Got Bowman, Johnson (TE), Johnson III and Goodlow for nothing. Those 4 were lightening and cost NOTHING. Gundy had a choice for 2024. Pay Ollie and Martin and gamble on the portal again or lose those 2 and maybe Oliver and buy 3 star talent in the portal. He paid 3 players and gambled on portal. 2 of the 3 we paid were lost and bc of a series of problems on offense which can be blamed on Gundy himself the 3rd (Ollie) was also lost for most of the season.

The NIL/Portal problem we have combined w bad QB play and the decision to stick w that and awful coordinator situation led to 3-9.

 

[aggiejet]

I suppose Gundy could agree to retire if they will approve a separation package for him. But, that doesn't really align with having already fired the coordinators.

I used to have some dealings with Jimmy Harrel. He has been a Regent for a long time and we had some discussions about OSU athletics. In addition to not liking Gundy, Josh H., and Dr. Shrum, he didn't like Les Miles, Bob Simmons, Pat Jones, Tom Holiday, or Eddie Sutton.

Not sure how you define “long time” but according to my research, Jimmy Harrel has been a Regent since 2020. Joe Hall has been a Regent since 2003 and by my account is longest serving Regent.

I’m really confused by this whole debacle. I would think it is the AD’s job to determine whether or not there was a need to make a change in head coach position. I’m unsure who’s responsible for hiring and firing the AD, but I would presume it’s the President. But the BOR becoming involved in the conditions of employment of a coach strikes me as heretofore unheard of.

So given all that transpired during the year under HCMG certainly warranted a conversation regarding the future of the football program. And it needed to be handled swiftly and behind closed doors.

But cornhol*** in public the winningest coach in OSU history is beyond embarrassing. It’s damaging to both the athletic department and the university itself. Who in their right mind would want to work for such an institution?

 

[HacklemanPoke]

I appreciate your optimism that a program can get turned around in one year. I hope you are right. But we've got stiff headwinds against us. For one thing, every recruiter is going to remind potential players what a $#!+ show we've got in Stillwater. Also, we haven't a developed a QB yet who can take us to the next level. Most important, I doubt Gundawg has the personality to adjust to the realignment of power with players.

Back in the day, college coaches had almost all the power over players, and Gundawg is comfortable in that world. But everything has changed, and players will leave, ask for money, refuse to play in bowl games, etc.

You've watched Gundawg over the years. Can he handle that kind of situation? I very much doubt it. I know I couldn't. But there are some coaches who have the people skills to deal with difficult situations. They will be successful in this new era of college football.

To me, that's the main reason we won't have the talent to win championships even if we find good coordinators.

Couple of interesting observations here.

4 teams tied for 1st in Big12 this yr. Last yr. Champion was 3-9. 2nd place was 7-6. BYU was 5-7 and CU was 4-8. Those 4 schools were a combined 11-25 in conference play.

This season alone we had an NFL RB, an NFL WR. An all time slot receiver and a potential NFL WR compete in every game. Busting it all the way to the end (see Tech game). We had players on D who’ve had multiple lower body injuries that probably mean they have knee/ hip replacement in their 40/50’s. Still out there in freezing weather on a Saturday morning in Boulder. Kids didn’t give up on Gundy. The 4 on offense had every reason to to protect their future and Gundy would have let them.

Think back to 2021. We win against Baylor w Warren at RB. He had a bum ankle. Was so mad Gundy wouldn’t play him that when the flight landed in Stillwater, it’s rumored he walked back to his apartment bc he was so frustrated. Gundy didn’t play him bc he didn’t want to risk Warren’s nfl future.

We rarely have kids opt out of bowl games.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

Disagree with you big time. I used to spend alot of time around Gundy and he was an extremely down to earth, very man of the people type person. Knew his players inside and out and really had a strong bond with them. Somewhere along the way he became the guy that called players by their numbers and that the players barely know. I think his approach 12-15 years ago was a better fit for OSU than what I see now.

I spend a lot of time now with the best football coach in the world and a more humble, down to earth person you will never meet.

You know Andy Reid?

 

[Poke Skywalker]

Not sure how you define “long time” but according to my research, Jimmy Harrel has been a Regent since 2020. Joe Hall has been a Regent since 2003 and by my account is longest serving Regent.

I’m really confused by this whole debacle. I would think it is the AD’s job to determine whether or not there was a need to make a change in head coach position. I’m unsure who’s responsible for hiring and firing the AD, but I would presume it’s the President. But the BOR becoming involved in the conditions of employment of a coach strikes me as heretofore unheard of.

So given all that transpired during the year under HCMG certainly warranted a conversation regarding the future of the football program. And it needed to be handled swiftly and behind closed doors.

But cornhol*** in public the winningest coach in OSU history is beyond embarrassing. It’s damaging to both the athletic department and the university itself. Who in their right mind would want to work for such an institution?

This isn’t the tennis coach we’re talking about. Football has a huge impact on the university and Gundy is the highest paid employee so sure the BOR are going to be involved. And it wasn’t the BOR handling this publicly, it was Gundy or his agent. Regents aren’t calling up Pete Thamel, Brett McMurphy or RA (Gundy’s known mouthpiece).

This was a quick blip nationally just saying Gundy was in a contract standoff with OSU. It was resolved quickly and benefits the school and admin. Outside of OSU people, nobody will even remember this couple of days.

 

[H2Orange]

Not sure how you define “long time” but according to my research, Jimmy Harrel has been a Regent since 2020. Joe Hall has been a Regent since 2003 and by my account is longest serving Regent.

I’m really confused by this whole debacle. I would think it is the AD’s job to determine whether or not there was a need to make a change in head coach position. I’m unsure who’s responsible for hiring and firing the AD, but I would presume it’s the President. But the BOR becoming involved in the conditions of employment of a coach strikes me as heretofore unheard of.

So given all that transpired during the year under HCMG certainly warranted a conversation regarding the future of the football program. And it needed to be handled swiftly and behind closed doors.

But cornhol*** in public the winningest coach in OSU history is beyond embarrassing. It’s damaging to both the athletic department and the university itself. Who in their right mind would want to work for such an institution?

He was a regent before. Late 90’s, early 00’s, sometime in there. I was surprised at his dislike for Eddie, yet he and a couple of other guys used to drive from Elk City for most home BB games. I don’t remember when he got off the BOR, and then Stitt re-appointed him.

 

[OrangeFanatic2]

Bunch of hand wringing and finger pointing over the process, but it got accomplished what most wanted to see. Gundy gets a chance to right the ship, “restore order”, and continue on as the most successful coach in our history. The admin re-established some control, made the contract/buyout more reasonable, and increased NIL for the benefit of the program. Happy ending!

Great assessment.

 

[zone2poke]

Couple of interesting observations here.

4 teams tied for 1st in Big12 this yr. Last yr. Champion was 3-9. 2nd place was 7-6. BYU was 5-7 and CU was 4-8. Those 4 schools were a combined 11-25 in conference play.

This season alone we had an NFL RB, an NFL WR. An all time slot receiver and a potential NFL WR compete in every game. Busting it all the way to the end (see Tech game). We had players on D who’ve had multiple lower body injuries that probably mean they have knee/ hip replacement in their 40/50’s. Still out there in freezing weather on a Saturday morning in Boulder. Kids didn’t give up on Gundy. The 4 on offense had every reason to to protect their future and Gundy would have let them.

Think back to 2021. We win against Baylor w Warren at RB. He had a bum ankle. Was so mad Gundy wouldn’t play him that when the flight landed in Stillwater, it’s rumored he walked back to his apartment bc he was so frustrated. Gundy didn’t play him bc he didn’t want to risk Warren’s nfl future.

We rarely have kids opt out of bowl games.

Well, we had a couple of NFL caliber players on this team. We had a starting roster of juniors and seniors. We had a seasoned quarterback.

And we went 3-9. So there is that.

Also, no one could back out of bowl games this year because our record is so poor we can't go to a bowl game.

 

[zone2poke]

Bunch of hand wringing and finger pointing over the process, but it got accomplished what most wanted to see. Gundy gets a chance to right the ship, “restore order”, and continue on as the most successful coach in our history. The admin re-established some control, made the contract/buyout more reasonable, and increased NIL for the benefit of the program. Happy ending!

It's only a happy ending if Gundawg coaches his tail off and gets us in the playoffs next year.

 

[USMC]

I was expecting a different outcome. I won't be able to break out the champagne now.

 

[zone2poke]

I think the problem Gundy ran into w the portal is part him and part us and they go hand in hand.

First the us part. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that absolutely hate the portal and NIL. Basically “No way a 20 yr old college kid should get paid xxx thousand dollars to play.” Or “There’s no more loyalty in college football any more.” I’m not disagreeing that there isn’t a kernel of truth in both of those although I do think college athletes should get paid some money. If every season ticket sold had $10/month attached to it for NIL that would be $5.4MM/yr. Still way short of what we need by maybe a factor of 3 or 4 to compete consistently for championships. Personally I hope everyone is giving at least $10 a month to OSU NIL. I also get that people aren’t happy w Gundy and won’t give to NIL.

Next the Mike part. 2023 spoiled him. He had little to no money for NIL. Got Bowman, Johnson (TE), Johnson III and Goodlow for nothing. Those 4 were lightening and cost NOTHING. Gundy had a choice for 2024. Pay Ollie and Martin and gamble on the portal again or lose those 2 and maybe Oliver and buy 3 star talent in the portal. He paid 3 players and gambled on portal. 2 of the 3 we paid were lost and bc of a series of problems on offense which can be blamed on Gundy himself the 3rd (Ollie) was also lost for most of the season.

The NIL/Portal problem we have combined w bad QB play and the decision to stick w that and awful coordinator situation led to 3-9.

Doesn't matter if people hate NIL and the portal. Doesn't matter at all. It's the way of the world, and you either get really good at it, or you get beat.

 

[CptnQuirk]

Not sure how you define “long time” but according to my research, Jimmy Harrel has been a Regent since 2020. Joe Hall has been a Regent since 2003 and by my account is longest serving Regent.

I’m really confused by this whole debacle. I would think it is the AD’s job to determine whether or not there was a need to make a change in head coach position. I’m unsure who’s responsible for hiring and firing the AD, but I would presume it’s the President. But the BOR becoming involved in the conditions of employment of a coach strikes me as heretofore unheard of.

So given all that transpired during the year under HCMG certainly warranted a conversation regarding the future of the football program. And it needed to be handled swiftly and behind closed doors.

But cornhol*** in public the winningest coach in OSU history is beyond embarrassing. It’s damaging to both the athletic department and the university itself. Who in their right mind would want to work for such an institution?

Harrell was still on the BoR in 2016. It looks like he may have been off the board for just a couple of years. Maybe he had health problems.

 

[The Killer]

What are you talking about. There are nooooo humble college football coaches.

Hell, there are no humble high school football coaches

I like you Duke. You get straight to the point and you are wise.

 

[GratefulPoke]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1865761816539770893

 

[mugatu]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1865761816539770893

OC and HCIW then?

 

[inappropriate.name]

OC and HCIW then?

If you take Dunn’s salary and the money cut from Gundy’s salary there might be enough to get him here.

 

[SevenDayWeekend]

The BoR (likely) hasn’t gone over Weiberg’s head to interlope with Gundy’s employment status.

The BoR (not Weiberg) has the legal authority to amend/renegotiate Gundy’s employment contract. Weiberg would need to go through the BoR for any renegotiation before the term of the contract is up.