Sources – Oklahoma St. is asking Mike Gundy to take a significant pay cut

Mike Gundy is in a standoff with Oklahoma State over his contract, sources told ESPN, upending his future at the school after 20 seasons as head football coach.

According to sources, the Cowboys have asked Gundy to accept a restructured contract that will include a significant salary reduction. Sources said Gundy had meetings with Oklahoma State officials on Friday to discuss his future.

Oklahoma State’s request to Gundy also includes a significant cut to his buyout, which currently stands at nearly $25 million, according to sources. Gundy is under contract until 2028.

According to sources, there have been discussions about firing Gundy for cause if he doesn’t agree to the new contract. It’s unclear what Gundy may have done to potentially be fired for cause.

Oklahoma State said it would not release any official statements about Gundy and his future Friday night, although sources told ESPN’s Chris Low that talks between the sides continued throughout the night and that optimism was growing that an agreement on a restructured contract could be reached deal would be reached.

Gundy has been at Oklahoma State for 20 seasons and is the second-longest-tenured coach in the sport. He has a 169-88 record over that span and his only losing seasons were his first in 2005 and this season.

The unrest from Oklahoma State officials comes after a 3-9 season that included nine straight losses and a winless record in Big 12 play.

This isn’t Gundy’s first run-in with the government. He agreed to a $1 million pay cut in 2020, reducing his salary from $5 million to $4 million. This came following a review of the program after Gundy was publicly criticized by former Cowboys tight end Chuba Hubbard for wearing a One America News T-shirt.

In October 2021, Oklahoma State announced that Gundy’s salary had been restored and that the school had reinstated his “permanent five-year contract.” He is expected to earn nearly $7.75 million this year.

Gundy caused controversy twice this season for his comments. In November, he issued an apology for comments in which he suggested that fans critical of Oklahoma State “can’t pay their own bills.”

At this year’s Big 12 Media Day, Gundy released a statement to clarify his comments on drinking and driving following star tackle Ollie Gordon II’s DUI arrest. Giving details of Gordon’s arrest, Gundy said he himself had probably done it 1,000 times. He later said he meant to say that everyone makes bad decisions.