Mike Gundy’s Abrupt OSU Exit Leaves FOX Analyst Frustrated as He Makes Personal Revelation

For 21 years, Mike Gundy had called Stillwater his home; He was the second-longest tenured coach in college football. But the cherished memories of over two decades came to a halt. With a 1-2 start, Gundy parted ways with the Cowboys. A bittersweet farewell indeed, and Joey Klatt is as heartbroken as many OSU fans. And he has taken this personally, saying, “This is a sad one for me.”

Recently, Gundy had grabbed headlines for his comments on Oregon’s “Nike” University and their NIL factor in attracting recruits; a controversy took shape, with Klatt calling it, “Mike Gundy poked the bear.” However, Gundy and Klatt’s relationship goes deeper than an analyst-coach parallel; they’re like family.

It all dates back to Gundy’s first year as a head coach for the Cowboys. Klatt hadn’t even graduated by then and played quarterback for the Colorado Buffs. It was October 1, 2005. The Buffs went against the Oklahoma Cowboys at the Boone Pickens Stadium. “I got to play against him, my senior year was his first year as the coach for Oklahoma State,” Joel Klatt revealed on the Joel Klatt Show today. Although Klatt-led Buffs absolutely crushed the Cowboys 34-0, a wholesome bond would blossom between the two. “And so we’ve always had that, and we’ve always gotten to chat about that.”

Klatt continued. “He has always been incredibly thoughtful, with me personally, his wife(Kristen) has been incredibly thoughtful to our family when my wife started having boys, just like the Gundy’s had boys (Gavin, Gunnar, and Gage), she actually wrote my wife (Sara) a letter and just said, “Hey, like I know being married to someone in football is not the easiest thing in the fall, but just a word of encouragement. You know, raise those boys right. Married to Sara, Joel Klatt has three kids, Harry, Sam, and Theodore. The Fox Sports analyst continued. “I’ll always remember that and I hope that coach sees this, cuz I’m really grateful for him and his family.”

Mike Gundy’s termination felt like a biting jab. The 58-year-old head coach spent most of his coaching career moulding and developing the Cowboys’ fresh talent. The winningest coach the Cowboys ever had, with a 170-190 record, he was an era.

But the downfall started in 2024. A 0-9 conference record and 3-9 overall, combined with a 1-2 start into the 2025 season, sealed his fate. “I think that this is a bummer, man.” Klatt took it personally. “This guy is the all-time winningest coach at Oklahoma State by over a hundred games, and he’s let go before October. I just don’t love it. I don’t love it.” His message to Mike Gundy? “Coach. just want you to know, man, I respect you and will always think highly of you.”

However, as the Athletic Director Chad Weilberg put it, Mike Gundy’s sacking was to preserve his own legacy at Stillwater.

Mike Gundy parts ways for the best interest of the program

On Tuesday morning, during a meeting, Mike Gundy was informed about his future at OSU. “I expected the results of this season to be different than they’ve been so far; That goes back to the expectation level that Coach Gundy has set for this program.” Gundy had built his legacy with the Cowboys. Being a part of the program for more than 20 years is no less than nurturing your family.

“When I was hired here to take that job, ever since that day, I’ve put my heart and soul into this,” Gundy had let out on Monday, as a retort to his job security speculations. “I love what I do.” But two losses against Oregon and Tulsa sealed his fate. “This decision in no way should take away from the years of success OSU football has had under Coach Gundy’s leadership,” Weilberg added.

He continued. “Thanks to him, we know winning the Big 12 championship, going to the College Football Playoff, and competing for championships are realistic goals. They remain attainable goals, but the stakes are high and competition is intense.” His contract, which ran till 2028, was terminated, and he will receive the $15 million buyout. Presently, Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Doug Meacham will step up to the role of interim head coach.