The Oklahoma State Board of Regents met on Friday to officially approve the revised contract between Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Football program.
It’s hard to forget the standoff that appeared to have Gundy’s status as the Cowboys’ head coach in jeopardy, but what about the contract is actually different?
Scott Wright of The Oklahoman dove into the details on Friday afternoon, and there are quite a few things different about the agreement between OSU and its head coach of, now, 21 years.
Alongside a provision of “increased engagement in fundraising and donor activities,” a pay reduction of $1 million, and an elimination of the annual rollover provision that had Gundy’s time in Stillwater on a rolling clock, the contract also has a provision that Gundy help in the process of “laying the groundwork for an eventual succession plan.”
According to Wright, the succession plan is a revision made at the request of Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg. It can “include anything from identifying, evaluating and developing a potential successor to facilitating a smooth transition of the program to the new coach.”
That alone doesn’t sound like a pending plan for moving on from the tenured head coach, but considering the changes to his contract terms, it’s more than notable.
Under this new agreement, Gundy enters the 2025 season in the first year of a new four-year contract that will pay him $6.75 million, plus an annual raise of $125,000 per year, ending with a $7.25 million salary in the final year of the contract in 2028.
Previously, Gundy’s buyout was based on a percentage of remaining money that Gundy would be owed, but the new contract has a flat buyout rate of $15 million through the 2027 season, and then falls to $10 million in 2028,
It’s not a confirmation that Oklahoma State is ready to move on from the Gundy era, but it sure sounds like the program is getting provisions in place should it become necessary.
Oklahoma State will open up its 2025 season against UT Martin on August 30, followed by a road trip to play the Oregon Ducks in Week 2.
