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

Oklahoma State knew this day was coming.

Coach Mike Gundy had barely escaped 2024 with his job, after a winless Big 12 campaign that crashed out with a 52-0 loss at Colorado. Gundy replaced his entire coaching staff and entered this season with a tenuous quarterback situation, which became more dire after starter Hauss Hejny broke his foot in the opener. Normally, situations like Oklahoma State's don't end well, even for a coach as synonymous with the program as Gundy.

The team's first home loss to Tulsa since 1951 spelled the end for Gundy, who was fired on Tuesday. Gundy is the winningest coach in Oklahoma State history, and led his alma mater to nine AP top-20 finishes between 2008 and 2021. But the program fell off sharply after 2023, and will now reset.

When Oklahoma and Texas left the Big 12, Gundy thought Oklahoma State was positioned to potentially be the league's new kingpin. But the league has changed, schools like Texas Tech are making major investments and Oklahoma State's future looks murky. Still, Oklahoma State has some definite plusses, including a history of winning that Gundy molded.

Candidates | Transfers

Five candidates for the job

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor: Two years ago, Traylor would be a slam-dunk hire for Oklahoma State, and still might be. He was on the radar for higher-profile jobs like Texas A&M after leading UTSA to 23 wins and consecutive Conference USA titles from 2021 to 2022. A four-time Texas state high school coach of the year at Gilmer High, where he won three state titles, Traylor remains one of the most connected and respected coaches in Texas. He served as a college assistant at Texas, SMU and Arkansas before coming to UTSA, where he's 48-22 and has won consecutive bowl games. The only potential concern is whether the 57-year-old's stock has cooled a bit as UTSA is 9-8 since the start of the 2024 season.

Texas State coach G.J. Kinne: If Oklahoma State wants a reset with a young, rising star coach with an offensive background and ties to the state, Kinne makes a lot of sense. The 36-year-old starred at quarterback 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 at Hawai'i and UCF into his first head job at Incarnate Word. He's 19-11 as a college coach, brings an exciting style of play and knows the region well as a Texas native and son of a high school coach.

Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein: If Oklahoma State is open to a first-time head coach, Klein would be a perfect candidate. The Pokes also could damage a fellow Big 12 competitor in Kansas State, where Klein thrived as a quarterback -- finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting in 2012 before moving up the ranks quickly as a coach. He coached Kansas State quarterbacks from 2016 to 2023 and served as offensive coordinator in his final two seasons before leaving for the same role at Texas A&M. After an up-and-down 2024 season, the Aggies offense is thriving under Klein's leadership and could be a candidate to return to his alma mater at some point. The 36-year-old knows the Big 12 and the region very well and would fit very well in Stillwater.

North Texas coach Eric Morris: He's a little older than Kinne at 39 but has walked a similar path as a Texas native who built his reputation as an offensive coach. Morris is from the Mike Leach/Air Raid tree, having played wide receiver for Leach at Texas Tech and later coaching under him both with the Red Raiders and in 2022 at Washington State, where he served as offensive coordinator. He preceded Kinne at Incarnate Word, twice reaching the FCS playoffs, and has shown his ability to identify and develop players at North Texas, which is 4-0 this fall after reaching a bowl game in 2024.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen: There wouldn't be much personality drop-off from Gundy to Holgorsen, who could be positioning himself for a return to head-coaching duties if Nebraska's offense continues to make strides this fall. Holgorsen, 54, knows the Big 12 and Oklahoma State, where he served as Gundy's offensive coordinator in 2010. He navigated West Virginia's transition from the Big East to Big 12 and finished at 20 games over .500 with the Mountaineers. Although things went downhill quickly for Holgorsen at Houston in 2023, the school also was making its Big 12 debut. Holgorsen's experience and knowledge of the area and league make him a clear fit at Oklahoma State. -- Adam Rittenberg

Three important players to retain

The Cowboys attempted a massive roster overhaul this offseason to try to flip its fortunes after the 3-9 year. They brought in a total of 62 newcomers, adding 38 transfer portal pickups who came in with a combined 17,056 career snaps of playing experience. This is one of the more senior-heavy rosters in the country with 30 seniors including 11 super seniors. It's safe to say the Pokes' next head coach will have to bring in a lot of newcomers while attempting to retain their young talent.

OLB Wendell Gregory: Gregory, a redshirt freshman, tied a Big 12 freshman record with three sacks in the season-opening win against UT Martin. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound edge rusher transferred in from South Carolina this spring and has quickly made an impact. Gregory was also arrested after the opener on four counts of larceny for allegedly stealing $211 worth of merchandise from a local Walmart, but he has still started in every game since.

QB Hauss Hejny: We haven't seen much of Hejny after he exited the Cowboys' opener early with a broken bone in his left foot, but the TCU transfer was dynamic in limited action. Hejny put up 96 passing yards, 27 rushing yards and two TDs against UT Martin in his debut. He's only a redshirt freshman and would have three more seasons of eligibility - or perhaps four, if he misses the rest of this season.

RB Rodney Fields Jr.: Fields was one of the few bright spots of a rough night against Tulsa. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound redshirt freshman emerged from a crowded stable of backs to put up a career-high 113 rushing yards and 39 receiving yards in the loss. Fields rushed for 99 yards over four games during his redshirt season and will have three more seasons of eligibility. -- Max Olson