Mike Gundy is saying he’s sorry.
While most of social media was focused on the election — and the initial College Football Playoff rankings — on Tuesday night, Gundy was sending a message to Oklahoma State fans. In doing so, the Cowboys head coach apologized for demeaning comments he had made about the OSU fanbase during a media call the day prior.
“I apologize to those who my comments during Monday’s media call offended,” Gundy wrote in a message posted to X. “My intent was not to offend any of our fans who have supported us and this program through the years.”
— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) November 6, 2024
Gundy’s offending comments came in response to a question about fan reaction to the Cowboys’ disappointing 2024 season. Ranked No. 18 in the preseason, Oklahoma State climbed to No. 13 after winning its first three games, but now finds itself sitting at 3-6 amid the first six-game losing streak of Gundy’s tenure at his alma mater.
“Unfortunately, in life, most people are weak and as soon as things start to not go as good as what they thought, they fall apart and they panic,” Gundy told reporters. “And then they want to point the finger and blame other people. You see it happen in everyday life. People do it all the time. That’s why I refuse to watch the TV and watch the news because I get tired of people complaining and bitching about this and that versus just doing something about it and trying to figure out a way to make it better.”
The 57-year-old (and famously former 40-year-old) added: “In most cases, the people that are negative and voicing their opinion are the same ones that can’t pay their own bills. They’re not taking care of themselves. They’re not taking care of their own family. They’re not taking care of their own job. But they have an obligation to speak out and complain about others because it makes them feel better.
“But then, in the end, when they go to bed at night, they’re the same failure that they were before they said anything negative about anybody else.”
“In most cases, the people who are negative and voicing their opinions are the same ones that can’t pay their own bills. They’re not taking care of themselves, they’re not taking care of their own family.”
Mike Gundy goes on a rant about negativity around the program #OKState pic.twitter.com/GS6iy56RhY
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) November 4, 2024
Obviously, Gundy isn’t the first college football coach to voice frustration with his fanbase and it was just two months ago that we saw Billy Napier echo similar sentiments about Florida fans. Still, battling your own fans is always going to be a losing battle — especially so when you invoke their personal finances while making nearly $8 million to run an underperforming football program.
As Mike Greenberg said at the time of Napier’s comments, going after your fanbase is a “cardinal sin” for a college football coach. And while Gundy has built more goodwill in Stillwater than Napier has in Gainesville, it’s hardly a surprise that an apology came as quickly as it did