Mike Gundy has been a star at Oklahoma State. He has coached the Cowboys to eight 10+ win seasons and a pair of top-10 seasons that would now get his Cowboys to the CFP. But he has fallen in difficult times. Oklahoma State is 4-10 over Gundy’s last 14 games, and a 69-3 loss to Oregon last week was particularly humiliating for the school.
At this point, it seems virtually inevitable that Oklahoma State will make a coaching move. Gundy has coached the school since 2005, but diminishing returns make the situation likely intolerable for OSU. Who will the school get to replace Gundy? Here are five good guesses at the potential successor.
Top 5 Potential Replacements For Mike Gundy At Oklahoma State
Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson has been the offensive coordinator for the Falcons, but it’s important to remember that he’s a former Oklahoma State QB. In fact, Robinson played for Mike Gundy early in his coaching tenure. Robinson would check a lot of boxes, he’s a new guy with massive NFL connections. He also has connections to the program and would feel comfortable utilizing the parts of Gundy’s tenure that worked well. He could be a solid pick.
Alex Golesh, South Florida
Golesh is one of the hottest coaches on the market. The USF boss is a passing-game proponent and even coached for a season as a graduate assistant under Gundy in 2008. Golesh is an up-and-coming young coach who is very capable as a playcaller or an offensive system guru. His OSU ties don’t hurt, and Golesh makes probably a bigger splash than virtually any other G5 coach.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane
Sumrall is probably the other G5 coach who could be the most interesting prospect. He would represent a significant system shift. Sumrall is a defensive coach who has managed Troy and Tulane at highly competitive schools. He is 34-9 at those schools and is also a young coach who could be a long-term bet for the Cowboys. Sumrall’s defensive background could be a potential stumbling block.
Jeff Monken, Army
It’s not the most glamorous of potential hires, but Monken is a tough and well-respected coach. Monken has gone 83-58 at Army, which is a virtually impossible place to win. Monken is a defensive guy and has used run-heavy attacks at Army. Monken is already 58 years old and might be a tough sell to the fans. He’s a great football mind, but might not be glamorous enough to win over fans and donors.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Sometimes, being in the wrong place is the real issue. DeBoer was great at Washington, but is not winning over anybody at Alabama with a 10-5 mark. That said, there’s no real question of his coaching ability. If DeBoer does indeed get dumped by Alabama, Oklahoma State could be a solid landing spot. He’s a pass-heavy guy who has already coached in the CFP.
If not DeBoer, there’ll be other coaches on the move. Given that Oklahoma State won’t be able to match SEC or Big Ten money, awaiting a coach on the move (Mark Stoops could be another possibility) might be the sanest way out for the Cowboys. But it would take patience and some good luck.
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