Gundy discusses the philosophy surrounding personnel changes at Oklahoma State

STILLWATER – The Cowboys’ 2024 season is not going as expected.

Oklahoma State entered its bye week at 3-3. The Cowboys got a lot of production from a team that finished 10-4 last season and appeared in the Big 12 title game. Despite essentially handling all of the offense, the Cowboys are 0-3 in conference games and have been outscored 102-53 in those contests.

As with any struggling team, the coaching was called into question. Mike Gundy is not one to take personnel changes lightly. The average tenure of its coordinators and position coaches is 7.4 years, including first-year coaches Paul Randolph (defensive line) and Sean Snyder (specialists). In fact, Gundy has five assistants who have been at OSU for at least a decade.

Gundy was asked Monday about his philosophy on personnel changes.

“Evaluating coaches during the season and at the end of the season and potentially making changes has not been a big part of me in my 20 years,” Gundy said. “I believe the coaches I hire have a responsibility to deliver and put us in a position to be successful. And for me this is a 24/7 job. My responsibility is to see things that I think need to be adjusted or fixed and have conversations with those coaches or that side of the ball, whatever side it may be. Then when I see improvements being made in a particular area or side of the game, then I feel like we are making progress and moving in the right direction.

“This is a 24/7 job, as I mentioned. It never ends. That’s why I have to evaluate every single day, every single week and every single December at the end of the season.”

OSU’s offense ranks 13th in the Big 12, averaging 309.2 yards per game, which is 71st nationally. The Cowboys’ defense ranks last in the Big 12 with 493.5 yards per game, which is No. 129 (of 134) nationally. OSU’s rushing offense ranks 124th nationally, although the reigning Doak Walker winner is behind most of the same offensive line in the backfield that helped it win that distinction last season. OSU’s rush defense ranks 129th nationally, as does OSU in total defense. It’s not good.

Making a personnel change is one thing, but making a change in the middle of the year is something entirely different. Even in a world with an expanded coaching staff that includes countless analysts, quality control coaches and the like, it’s not as easy as pulling one coach out and another in, Gundy said. Gundy said he would need a “really, really” good reason to make a midseason move and that he believes a midseason move could cause more disruption than benefit.

“I think every situation is different,” Gundy said. “I never had the feeling that there was any reason for the current team to make a mid-season change. I know people do that, but you’re asking me specifically, and I’ve never seen it beneficial to the team to make a midseason move.”