Coaching Capsule

Gundy became Oklahoma State's head coach on Jan. 3, 2005. He served as OSU's offensive coordinator and associate head coach the previous four seasons. He served on Oklahoma State staffs under Pat Jones, Bob Simmons and Les Miles. He was also on staff at Baylor and Maryland before returning to his alma mater.

Playing Experience
Gundy was a four-year starter and letterman at Oklahoma State from 1986 through 1989. He remains OSU's all-time leading passer with 7,997 yards and he led the Cowboys to back-to-back 10-win seasons in 1987 and 1988. His 429-yard passing performance against Kansas in 1989 is still the second-best passing game at Oklahoma State and he owns six of Oklahoma State's top 30 single-game passing performances. He also still holds Oklahoma State career records for passing yards (7,997), completion percentage (58.3 percent) and interception avoidance (36 in 1,035 pass attempts).

Family
Gundy is the son of Ray and Judy Gundy. His father attended OSU on a basketball grant. He and his wife, Kristen, have three sons, Gavin, Gunnar and Gage. Kristen is also an OSU graduate. His brother, Cale, is on the coaching staff at Oklahoma.

2005-present	Oklahoma State
	Head Coach
2001-04	Oklahoma State
	Assistant Head Coach/
	Offensive Coordinator
1997-2000	Maryland
	Quarterbacks Coach/
	Passing Game Coordinator
	Receivers Coach
1996.	Baylor
	Quarterbacks Coach/
	Passing Game Coordinator
1990-95	Oklahoma State
	Quarterbacks Coach
	Offensive Coordinator (1994)
	Quarterbacks (1991-93)
	Receivers (1990)

Head Coaches Currently At Their Alma Mater: Football Bowl Subdivision

Troy Calhoun	Air Force
Steve Fairchild	Colorado State
Ruffin McNeill	East Carolina
Bobby Lamb	Furman
Joker Phillips	Kentucky
Mark Snyder	Marshall
Ralph Friedgen	.Maryland
Larry Porter	Memphis
Randy Shannon	Miami (Fla.)
Chris Ault	Nevada
Pat Fitzgerald	Northwestern
Mike Gundy	Oklahoma State
Dave Wannstedt	Pittsburgh
Rick Neuheisel	UCLA
Frank Beamer	Virginia Tech
Paul Wulff	Washington State
Willie Taggart	Western Kentucky

In the world of college football, five seems to be an important number. Five-year plans, five-year contracts, five-year spans of player eligibility. A strong case can be made that it's difficult to judge the direction of a football program before a coaching staff has been in place for five years.

If one is a believer in the five-year theory, Mike Gundy draws rave reviews after five years as head football coach at Oklahoma State. During his tenure, OSU has climbed to one of the high points in school history.

The list of accomplishments over the past five years is lengthy.

Under Gundy's watch, the Cowboys have registered four-straight seasons with at least seven wins for the first time in school history. The Cowboys have played in four-straight bowl games for the first time ever and OSU has recorded consecutive nine-win seasons for just the second time in school history. In 2009, OSU also reached six conference wins for the first time ever and climbed to second in the Big 12 South for the first time since the league was formed. Also in 2009, OSU appeared in the Associated Press preseason top 10 for the first time ever and OSU football made its first two appearances on the cover of Sports Illustrated while cracking the AP top five for the first time in 24 years.

Gundy and Oklahoma State agreed on a new seven-year contract on Dec. 5, 2008. The new agreement keeps the former Cowboy quarterback in charge of OSU's football fortunes through at least 2015. And it is documentation of the progress that Oklahoma State has made since the 1990 OSU grad became the school's head coach.

Gundy is 36-27 during his head coaching career, but that record hardly tells the story of the renaissance of Cowboy football. Under his guidance, OSU's Big 12 record has improved every season: from 1-7 in 2005 to 3-5 in 2006, 4-4 in 2007, 5-3 in 2008 and 6-2 in 2009. During that same time period, the overall win total has climbed from four to nine.

Oklahoma State spent the entire 2009 season ranked in the top 25, reaching as high as fifth in the AP poll during its 9-4 season. Along the way OSU set a new record for season ticket sales, and played in front of the five largest home crowds in school history. OSU entered the final week of the regular season very much in contention for its first BCS bowl berth and the Cowboys' 6-2 Big 12 record propelled OSU to No. 2 in the Big 12 bowl pecking order.

In 2008, the Cowboys ascended into the top 10 for the first time in 20 years, climbed to sixth in the BCS rankings and picked up a road win against a member of the Associated Press top five.

The successes over the past two years are also a testament to Gundy's patience as a program builder. He entered his tenure as head coach with a clear-cut blueprint in mind in January of 2005 after being promoted from his position of offensive coordinator under Les Miles. His early days were often challenging and the news not always good, but the energetic former Cowboy continued to lay the groundwork for a complete OSU makeover.

In very short order, Gundy put together an all-star coaching staff that proved it could not only coach the game on the field, but could recruit with the best. The four highest ranked recruiting classes in OSU history have come under Gundy. He has overhauled the Cowboy offense into one of the nation's most impressive, lured tried and true OSU alum Bill Young back to Stillwater to coordinate OSU's defense, and he continues to push his student-athletes in their endeavors away from football.

The first year was tough. Oklahoma State was 4-7 with one conference win and a sixth-place finish in the Big 12 South. Gundy, however, never wavered. He faced early and difficult decisions in his head coaching career. Those challenges included the dismissal of several players, some who figured to be headliners going into the 2005 campaign. He also had to deal with the shocking death of Vernon Grant, an inspirational team leader and multi-year starter. Gundy handled the early adversity with a steady hand beyond his years. The young Cowboys spent year one in transition with a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator and a new defensive coordinator.

In 2006, OSU's second year under Gundy, the record improved to 7-6, with a win in the Independence Bowl over Alabama. OSU fielded one of the country's most exciting offensive squads, displayed some talented underclassmen on defense and proved capable of bumping helmets with the elite of the Big 12. And that win total, as impressive as it was, could have been even more pronounced as four Cowboy losses were decided on the final play of the game. The season included a win over Big 12 North champ Nebraska and a last-play loss to South champ Oklahoma.

The 34-31 win over Alabama in the PetroSun Independence Bowl was OSU's fourth bowl appearance in five seasons, but marked just the second postseason win for OSU since Barry Sanders hung up his orange-colored cleats in 1988. Scoring was up by more than two touchdowns per game as the 2006 edition of Cowboy football became one of the most prolific offensive teams in school history, averaging more than 35 points per game. Oklahoma State joined undefeated Boise State as the only two teams in the country to average more than 200 yards per game rushing and passing.

OSU's 2006 roster also produced some of the Big 12's brightest stars, including the offensive newcomer of the year in first-team all-Big 12 receiver Adarius Bowman, and defensive freshman of the year in safety Andre Sexton. Bowman and offensive lineman Corey Hilliard were consensus first-team all-Big 12 selections. Bowman was Gundy's second straight offensive newcomer of the year (Mike Hamilton in 2005).

The Cowboys finished Gundy's second year seventh nationally (and tops in the Big 12) in rushing, seventh nationally in scoring and No. 16 in total offense. The conference rushing title was a first for Oklahoma State. OSU followed up that ground attack with more team rushing titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

And as much fun as the Cowboys enjoyed on the field in 2006, away from the stadium, the improvement showed as well. Oklahoma State set a school record with eight players named to the first-team academic all-Big 12 team and 13 selections overall. Included in that total was academic All-American Darnell Smith.

Following the Cowboys' 2006 landmark home win over No. 20 Nebraska in a game in which the Cowboys overcame a 16-0 deficit and won going away, Gundy continued to keep his eye on the big picture. His postgame address to his team began and ended with off-the-field responsibilities that come with wearing the orange and black. That theme of accountability, expectations and hard work are the new staples of Cowboy football and clearly show the link of Gundy to past Cowboy teams.

In 2007, despite facing the NCAA's toughest schedule, the Cowboys won their second straight bowl game (Insight) and the climb up the Big 12 ladder continued with OSU finishing third in the South. Oklahoma State entered the final week of the regular season playing for a share of the Big 12 South championship. The bowl titles marked the first time since 1987 and 1988 (Gundy's playing days) that the Cowboys won postseason games in consecutive seasons. The Cowboys' 45-14 win at Nebraska was OSU's first in Lincoln since the Kennedy Administration.

The Cowboy offense followed up its 2006 success with something unprecedented in 2007 when it finished the season with 3,161 rushing yards and 3,161 passing yards. OSU finished seventh nationally in total offense (486.3 yards per game). The season culminated with a 49-33 win over Indiana in the Insight Bowl and sophomore quarterback Zac Robinson set a new OSU single-season record in total offense.

The 2008 season drew headlines. That version of the Cowboys became one of the most decorated in school history. Two sophomores, receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter, became first-team All-Americans. Quarterback Zac Robinson was a finalist for the Manning Award and a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew was a finalist for the Mackey Award and punter Matt Fodge was the winner of the Ray Guy Award. Junior Perrish Cox was voted a first-team All-America kick returner.

As a team, the Cowboys went 9-4 for just the eighth nine-win season in school history. OSU appeared in a bowl game for a third straight season for just the third time ever. The 2008 Cowboys, with Gundy calling the plays, were the second highest scoring team in school history at more than 40 points per game.

It was a season that saw OSU enter the polls on Sept. 28 and camp out in the rankings for the rest of the year. Oklahoma State climbed as high as No. 7 in the AP balloting. Along the way came a win at No. 3 Missouri and a four-point near miss at No. 1 Texas. The season ended in San Diego with OSU's first trip to the Holiday Bowl since 1988.

In 2008, Oklahoma State's growing success extended beyond the sidelines. OSU set a new record for season ticket sales with 39,976. Oklahoma State also saw a climb in average attendance to 48,261 per game and along the way set a then-single-game record (52,463 vs. Troy) while earning nine wins. Robinson became the school's career total offense record holder, surpassing the mark of his head coach. The Cowboy offense finished sixth nationally with 488 yards per game. Along the way, OSU set a new school record with four straight games of more than 50 points and finished the year No. 16 in the Associated Press poll.

The 2008 breakthrough season was followed by another nine-win season in 2009, which ended with a trip to the AT&T Cotton Bowl. It was OSU's first trip to the Dallas bowl since 2004 and third overall. The season saw OSU set five more new records for single-game attendance, culminating with a record 58,516 on hand for the Texas game. The record for season tickets was elevated to 45,694. Along the way, Zac Robinson continued to smash records, including career marks for passing yards, TD passes and single-game completion percentage. Mike Gundy had held all three records. The Cowboy defense showed stunning improvement, rising from 93rd in total defense to No. 31. Oklahoma State also set a school record with 11 television appearances.

The year saw two Cowboys, offensive lineman Russell Okung and receiver Dez Bryant, selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Okung, a unanimous All-American and the Big 12 offensive lineman of the year, was the sixth overall pick.

The 2009 season opener, a 24-10 win over No. 13 Georgia, was a watershed event at Oklahoma State with the rededication of Boone Pickens Stadium. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held two hours before OSU's win over the Bulldogs.

And the individual awards continued. Along with Okung, Keith Toston, Perrish Cox and Bryant Ward were first-team all-Big 12 selections. Cox also joined Okung as a first-team All-American.

Gundy, a member of the Cowboy coaching staff for 12 of the past 16 seasons, became the school's 22nd head football coach on Jan. 3, 2005. It was the culmination of a legendary career for one of Oklahoma's all-time great high school athletes.

Mike Gundy first arrived on the Oklahoma State campus in 1986 after a heavily-decorated prep career. He was an Oklahoma all-state selection in football and baseball and was selected as state's prep football player of the year by The Oklahoman and the Tulsa World. At the same time, he was a stellar student and a member of the National Honor Society.

As a senior, he led Midwest City High School to a state championship, including a dramatic come-from-behind win in the title game held on the OSU campus. Along the way, he completed 63 percent of his passes for nearly 1,800 yards while calling many of his own plays at the line of scrimmage.

After a heavyweight recruiting battle that centered on the state's two largest schools, Gundy cast his lot with Oklahoma State and prepared to redshirt his freshman season.But just four games into his true freshman season, he took over the quarterback duties for Pat Jones' Oklahoma State Cowboys. He ended 1986 by being named as the nation's top freshman quarterback by The Sporting News. He became a four-year starter at Oklahoma State (1986-89), and led the Cowboys to a pair of bowl wins, the 1987 Sun Bowl over West Virginia and the 1988 Holiday Bowl over Wyoming. During those two seasons, OSU accumulated a 20-4 record. Gundy was voted into the Hall of Fame of the Holiday Bowl for his efforts in San Diego when he completed 20-of-24 passes for 314 yards.

The 1988 offense is the most prolific in OSU history, scoring more than 47 points per game. It was led by the trio of Mike Gundy, Barry Sanders and Hart Lee Dykes. Gundy ended his career as the Big Eight Conference's all-time leader in passing and total offense, and he is still second all-time at OSU with 7,997 passing yards. He is also second at OSU in total offense and third in career touchdown passes (54). He passed for 2,106 yards in 1987 and 2,163 in 1988.

After graduation, Gundy joined the Oklahoma State football staff. He coached the receivers in 1990, the quarterbacks from 1991-1993 and in 1995, and served as offensive coordinator during the 1994 season in the final year for Gundy's college coach, Pat Jones. Gundy has coached in Stillwater under each of the three previous Cowboy head coaches (Jones, Bob Simmons and Les Miles).

He spent one season at Baylor (1996) as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator before heading to the ACC, where he coached at Maryland (1997-2000). He returned to Stillwater in 2001 as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, and he also coached OSU quarterbacks.

Gundy is just the third Oklahoma State graduate to assume the head coaching duties in Stillwater. Jim Lookabaugh (1939-49) and Floyd Gass (1969-71) were the others.

Gundy As A Head Coach

* Independence Bowl
# Insight Bowl
^ Holiday Bowl
! Cotton Bowl