Mike Gundy’s seat is more than warm. It’s scorching hot. After two decades of swagger, mullets, and mostly winning seasons, the Oklahoma State legend suffered a brutal 3-9 record in 2024. His worst ever. Even legends feel the heat when things crumble, and right now, it’s loud in Stillwater. Fans are openly wondering if it’s time for a change. The coach, who once had OSU on the cusp of a playoff run, is now facing a $15 million decision. Fight to rebuild, or step away before things get even worse.

The weight of last season’s fallout sits heavily on Mike Gundy’s shoulders. And why wouldn’t it be? A 0-9 record within the conference automatically puts you under pressure. With frustrated fans and rumors of a departure circulating, this upcoming year is critical for Gundy’s future. On top of that, BetMGM sets OSU’s win total at 5.5, offering enticing +146 odds for the over. So, it’s a clear make-or-break season for him. But, there’s still hope that Gundy and his team can bounce back.

Even Cover 3 Podcast’s Danny Kanell believes in Mike Gundy. But he’s not letting the optimism set without launching a warning. “They’ve only had one, or I should say two seasons. One was his first season as the head coach two decades ago. The other one was last year. So, is this thing coming off the rails so much that they’re going to go under that total? If they’re five and seven, they probably are, you know, making a change, or Mike Gundy retires,” Kanell said. As said before, if anything goes wrong this season, it might directly affect Mike Gundy’s tenure with the team.

The Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents recently made a notable decision by reducing Mike Gundy’s 2025 salary by $1 million, bringing it down to $6.75M from $7.75M. Gundy agreed to these new terms last month, securing a 4-year contract extension through 2028 that includes annual raises of $125K. Now, if a team plans on keeping you close, it doesn’t just cut down your contract. And that’s exactly what’s happening with Mike Gundy, as his old percentage-based system is now a fixed $15 million payout over the next three years. This is a considerable decrease from the previous $25 million, and that’s turning some heads.

And on top of that Danny Kanell lands them with another warning: “I don’t think they’re going to be competing for the Big 12 Championship, and I hate the fact that one of the non-conference games is probably an automatic loss at Oregon.” Sure, the schedule is not that flashy. Facing Oregon and Texas Tech presents challenges. But with Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor visiting Stillwater, the schedule isn’t awful. Their hardest games are at home, which puts them right in the driver’s seat.

Let’s not forget that despite a rough season, Mike Gundy’s team did beat Arkansas, which shows they have potential. But Oklahoma State’s offense faces a complete overhaul this year, returning no starters. The quarterback position is a toss-up between Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny, who followed OC Doug Meacham from TCU. However, neither has thrown a college pass.

This fresh start means whoever wins the job will likely rely heavily on running backs Rodney Fields Jr. and Trent Howland to shoulder the load. Also, sophomore tight end Josh Ford is anticipated to emerge as a significant offensive threat. There’s talent, but it’s still unproven.

An untested QB for the cowboys?

Mid-August in Stillwater is always hot. But this year it brought panic as well. Rumors flew that Zane Flores, Oklahoma State’s likely starting quarterback, had hurt his toe just weeks before the season started. Terrible timing. Fortunately, before Cowboys fans completely lost it, Cody Stovall of Locked On Oklahoma State reassured everyone.

The havoc turned out to be pure fluff. And Stovall laid it out clearly and said, “We thought maybe it was going to take a couple of days to see if some of the conversations about his potential toe injury were going to end up being a problem. It seems as though that was just a bunch of smoke and a bunch of mirrors because Zane Flores, at least according to the clips that were put out by Oklahoma State yesterday, looks fine.”

Well, Zane Flores’ career at Oklahoma State didn’t exactly explode onto the scene. He redshirted in 2023, not seeing any playing time, although he was named OSU’s offensive practice player of the week before the Arizona State game. Then, 2024 brought another setback: an injury that kept him out for the entire year and resulted in a medical hardship waiver. No game snaps, no stats. Just rehab and patience. It was a tough beginning for someone many expected to be the program’s future, and some fans were already looking elsewhere.

But don’t let this quiet start mislead you. This guy sure has caliber. As a senior in HS, he threw for 3,117 yards and 31 touchdowns, plus 10 rushing touchdowns, and almost won a state championship, throwing for 414 yards and 3 touchdowns in the final. Over three seasons, he went 30-4 as a starter, with over 9,000 passing yards, 82 passing touchdowns, and 29 rushing touchdowns. So, now you know why, despite not playing for 2 years, this guy is still projected to take up the charge of offense. Now that everything’s falling into place, let’s wait and see how this season turns out for Mike Gundy.