AD: Gundy exit in best interest of OSU long-term

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Hours after Oklahoma State announced the firing of longtime football coach Mike Gundy amid a 1-2 start, athletic director Chad Weiberg emphasized the decision was made with the "best interest of moving the program forward in the long term."

Gundy, the second-longest-tenured FBS head coach, was in his 21st season leading the Cowboys, trailing only Kirk Ferentz, Iowa's coach since 1999. His exit, announced late Tuesday morning, comes four days after the Cowboys lost 19-12 to Tulsa last Friday.

"I expected the results of this season to be different than they've been so far," Weiberg told reporters Tuesday. "That goes back to the expectation level that Coach Gundy has set for this program.

"We have higher expectations than that, so when it doesn't appear that that was not going to be met, it felt like for the good of the program it was time to make this decision so that we could start the process of getting the program where we want it to be."

Weiberg confirmed that he informed Gundy of his firing in a meeting Tuesday morning. Acknowledging Gundy's long history in Stillwater, Weiberg spoke to the importance of ensuring his exit was handled "right," and said that contributed to the timing of the decision.

Gundy, 58, was not offered the opportunity to remain in his role through the end of the season, according to Weiberg, who explained that Gundy is set to receive the full sum of the $15 million buyout outlined in his contract, which was set to run through the 2028 season.

First-year Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Doug Meacham will serve as the Cowboys' interim head coach, beginning with this Saturday's home game against Baylor. Longtime strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass is expected to oversee administrative duties within the program.

Gundy, the winningest coach in program history, returned to Oklahoma State this fall under a restructured contract following a 3-9 finish in 2024, the program's first losing season since Gundy's first in charge in 2005. The loss to Tulsa came only two weeks after the Cowboys' 69-3 loss at Oregon on Sept. 6 and marked Oklahoma State's 11th consecutive defeat against FBS opposition. All told, Gundy dropped 11 of his last 12 games in charge.

In outlining the decision to move on from Gundy with nine games remaining, Weiberg pointed to those disappointing results, which came after the school poured "significant investments" into the program following the 2024 season. He also looked ahead, citing the long-term health of Oklahoma State football beyond 2025.

"I get that there's things right here in the here and now, this week, today, tomorrow," Weiberg said. "But we also have to be looking at what's better for the program over the next year, two years, five years."

While speculation swirled around Gundy's job security this month, Weiberg's own future with the school has been mired in uncertainty, with the 53-year-old athletic director working without a contract since late June.

Weiberg confirmed Tuesday that he will lead the search for the school's next football coach. While a new deal has not been formally completed, sources told ESPN that Weiberg is poised to sign a four-year contract with a raise on his current annual salary of $750,000.

Weiberg said the timing of Tuesday's decision will allow Oklahoma State to lay the groundwork for the program's future and its pursuit of a new hire later this year, but declined to offer a definitive timeline.

After parting with a coach who at times grumbled in college football's NIL/revenue-share era, Weiberg emphasized the resources available at Oklahoma State. "This is not an inexpensive football team that we have on the field this season," Weiberg said and reinforced the importance of what lies ahead as the program embarks on its first coaching search in two decades.

"This decision in no way should take away from the years of success OSU football has had under Coach Gundy's leadership," Weiberg said. "Thanks to him, we know winning the Big 12 championship, going to the College Football Playoff and competing for championships are realistic goals. They remain attainable goals, but the stakes are high and competition is intense. It will be critically important for the OSU family to unite behind the next leader of Cowboy football."