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4 Dumbest Comments Mike Gundy's Made as Oklahoma State Head Coach

By Joe Birdsall

Mike Gundy's OAN shirt is just the latest development in a long line of questionable statements.
Mike Gundy's OAN shirt is just the latest development in a long line of questionable statements. / Bob Levey/Getty Images

Mike Gundy made headlines Monday after a picture sufaced of the Oklahoma State head coach wearing an OAN shirt on a fishing trip, leading prominent players, including star running back Chuba Hubbard, to criticize the choice and call for change at the school. Gundy has been no stranger to controversy in his time as the head coach, so here are some of his most outlandish statements.

4. "I'm a Man, I'm 40!" Rant

While Gundy's most famous rant was intended to shield his players from media criticism, his demeanor and assumptions about reporters miss the mark. Gundy accused reporters of being critical of his players in their articles and asked them to shift the blame to him. However, his enraged delivery paints the picture of an impassioned coach with a short fuse, and not one who can handle constant scrutiny.

3. Gundy Calls for May 1 Return Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Gundy called for student athletes to return on May 1, despite the Big 12 banning in-person training through May 31.
Gundy called for student athletes to return on May 1, despite the Big 12 banning in-person training through May 31. / Bob Levey/Getty Images

To those who are familiar with Gundy, his statements regarding the coronavirus pandemic likely come as no surprise. Despite the Big 12 initially banning in-person activities through May 31, the head coach called for athletes to return to campus a month sooner, per Sports Illustrated, reasoning that since his players were young, "a lot of them can fight it off" naturally.

2. Gundy Praises OAN's Reporting

After Gundy was photographed wearing the OAN shirt, his previous comments about the network surfaced, and they were troubling. According to CBS Sports writer Kyle Boone, he praised OAN as "refreshing" despite the fact that the outlet is known for slanted reporting and recently called the Black Lives Matter movement a "farce." By supporting hateful rhetoric like this, Gundy risks alienating his players.

1. Gundy Never Apologizes in Video Statement

While Gundy and star running back Chuba Hubbard appear to have made amends after Monday's incident, many Twitter users criticized the fact that Hubbard, not Gundy, issued an apology in their joint statement. Gundy saying that he was unaware that him supporting OAN was a "sensitive issue" falls short of a true apology, which would have been a good way to avoid further criticism.