A Little Football History Lesson, Pokes Style
STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State has not had a great football history. However, the Pokes are one of 43 Division I FBS schools playing football that have been awarded a national championship in football. The major one was in 1945 when Jim Lookabaugh coached Bob Fenimore and the Oklahoma A&M squad to a 9-0 season, one of three unbeatens that season along with Alabama and Army. Mike Gundy and the 2011 Cowboys at 12-1 also garnered a bestowed title from the Colley Matrix, one of the analytic components to the BCS. Until the BCS in 1998 and the College Football Playoff now the championships were all analytic or mythical. The wins were not as those happened on the field.
By that measurement, Oklahoma State is a current top 25 program in college football but one with an overall run-of-the-mill history. As both Oklahoma A&M and then Oklahoma State the overall football record is 601-556-47 for a .519 win percentage. Since 2001, and under the guidance of two top 100 winning head coaches in Division I history, Oklahoma State is 157-85 for a .649 win percentage and during that time period the Cowboys have played in 17 bowl games including 14 in-a-row under current head coach Mike Gundy.
Okay, what started me on this research project. I received a graphic by text message on my phone of the 10-active winningest coaches in major college football.
That graphic got me thinking, how does Gundy stack up all-time in college football. By text Gundy told me, "We've had one heck of a ride. There's more to come."
I know that he feels that way. I have been around him a long time and I can tell you that he is as engaged and as excited about what he is doing as I have ever seen him. He is bumped up the recruiting in the program with Todd Bradford and analysts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he and the staff have met regularly with part of the work on the upcoming season but a large chunk of it on recruiting.
They have worked to have a recruiting impact daily on the prospects they have offered and are trying to get committed to their class. It hasn't been easy. Texas A&M has come in and outbid the Cowboys on their lead recruiting graphics producer in Peyton Aufill. This is the second time A&M has plucked a football graphics artist from OSU and it is the fourth to be hired away by the SEC, one each to LSU and South Carolina.
That is all about the future. His excitement and eagerness, shown and criticized by some during the COVID-19 pandemic has to do with his current team, which could be at least potentially "a best in the decade" type of squad.
From a historical standpoint, Gundy is the winningest coach in Oklahoma State history with 129 wins. By percentage, he is second. Here is how Gundy stands up against the other top coaches at Oklahoma State. We list them by percentage. This list constitutes all of the head football coaches at Oklahoma State that have had an overall record above .500.
1. Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf (5 seasons/1929-33) 34-10-7 .735
2. Mike Gundy (15 seasons/2005-19) 129-64-0 .668
3. Paul J. Davis (6 seasons/1909-14) 29-16-1 .641
4. Dave Smith (1 season/1972) 7-4-0 .636
5. Jim Lookabaugh (11 seasons/1939-49) 58-41-6 .581
6. Les Miles (4 seasons/2001-04) 28-21-0 .571
7. Jimmy Johnson (5 seasons/1979-83) 30-25-2 .544
8. Earl A. Pritchard (2 seasons/1917-18) 8-7-0 .533
9. Jim Stanley (6 seasons/1973-78) 35-31-2 .529
10. Pat Jones (11 seasons/1984-94) 62-60-3 .508
Now, as for stacking up historically in Division I you saw above where Gundy ranks among active coaches, but all time, by win percentage, Gundy is higher that one might imagine.
All-Time Division I Football Head Coaches (by win percentage with over and 10 seasons or more)
Place (all-time) | Coach | School | Total Years | Record | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Knute Rockne | Notre Dame | 13 | 105-12-5 | .881 |
3. | Urban Meyer | Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State | 17 | 186-32-0 | .853 |
4. | Barry Switzer | Oklahoma | 16 | 157-29-4 | .837 |
5. | Tom Osborne | Nebraska | 25 | 255-49-3 | .836 |
14. | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | 12 | 130-31-0 | .807 |
19. | Nick Saban | Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, Alabama | 24 | 243-65-1 | .788 |
22. | Paul "Bear" Bryant | Texas A&M, Maryland, Kentucky, Alabama | 38 | 323-85-17 | .780 |
32. | Jimbo Fisher | Florida State, Texas A&M | 10 | 100-32-0 | .758 |
34. | Joe Paterno | Penn State | 46 | 409-136-3 | .749 |
59. | Gary Patterson | TCU | 20 | 172-70-0 | .711 |
69. | Jimmy Johnson | Oklahoma State, Miami | 10 | 81-34-3 | .699 |
74. | Les Miles | Oklahoma State, LSU, and Kansas | 18 | 145-64-0 | .694 |
91. | Kyle Whittingham | Utah | 15 | 131-64-0 | .672 |
94. | Mike Gundy | Oklahoma State | 15 | 129-64-0 | .668 |
95. | Larry Coker | Miami, UTSA | 10 | 82-41 | .667 |
96. | Mack Brown | Tulane, North Carolina (twice), Texas | 30 | 245-123-1 | .665 |
113. | Bill Snyder | Kansas State | 27 | 215-117-7 | .647 |
Honestly, to be in the top 100 all-time in win percentage of college Division I FBS head coaches that is pretty amazing. Especially since Gundy did it all at Oklahoma State. Former Pokes coaches Jimmy Johnson and Les Miles are ahead of him. Johnson is a college football hall of famer and now going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In one more season Gundy will pass Miles or Miles will drop below Gundy depending on how you want to look at it.
Pappy Waldorf is ranked No. 138 with an overall record of 157-89-19 for a .628 win percentage. He is a college football hall of fame member. Jim Lookabaugh's record has him No. 211.
