Was Oklahoma State's Coaching Overhaul an Overreaction?
Oklahoma State had its worst season in decades, and it led to one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory.
In 2024, OSU entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Big 12 and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, the team followed a 3-0 nonconference performance with a winless Big 12 record.
Finishing season 3-9 meant significant changes would be made throughout the program. Even Mike Gundy wasn’t completely safe following his second losing season in 20 tries.
The Cowboys' firings of offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo were widely expected, given the Cowboys’ rankings on both sides of the ball. While it was no surprise that newly hired coordinators Doug Meacham and Todd Grantham would bring some of their own assistants to Stillwater, the lack of continuity among coaches going into next season could do more harm than good.
Obviously, the Cowboys felt a need to make big changes after ending the season on a nine-game losing streak and missing a bowl game for the first time since 2005. Still, it seems the team might have gotten a bit carried away with cleaning house.
While everyone on the 2024 coaching staff shares some of the blame for the 3-9 year, many of those have been around the program for multiple seasons. That means those same coaches share some of the credit for successful seasons like 2021 and 2023 when the Cowboys made the Big 12 Championship.
Those coaches have also seen players from their positions make it to the next level and have success in the NFL. With success coming in player development and OSU’s impressive performances as a team, those coaches made an undeniable mark on Stillwater.
Still, the Cowboys will almost certainly benefit from these offseason decisions, and the recently hired coaches could help OSU ascend back to the top of the Big 12.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.