By Keaton Hargett
Following the 66-3 humiliation against Oregon—a game where even Montana State managed to find the end zone the week before—Oklahoma State football looks cooked. If a loss to Tulsa comes next, that might actually be the nail in the coffin for Mike Gundy’s run in Stillwater. Even as a Gundy supporter, I recognize that all good things must come to an end.
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Here’s my Top 5 countdown of coaches who could replace Mike Gundy if OSU decides to move on:
5. Zac Robinson (Atlanta Falcons OC)
Zac Robinson isn’t just some random name — he was the quarterback who helped kick off the Gundy era, slinging it to Dez Bryant and putting OSU football back on the map in the late 2000s. Fans remember that offense as the start of something special. Now? He’s the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, one of the youngest rising coaches in the NFL.
Bringing Robinson back to Stillwater would be the ultimate full-circle hire. He knows the culture, he knows what it takes to win in orange and black, and he’d bring a fresh, modern offensive mind into the Big 12. It’s a longshot, but imagine Dez showing up on the sideline in Stillwater again, watching his old QB lead the Cowboys. That’s goosebump material.
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4. Jeff Traylor (UTSA HC)
Jeff Traylor isn’t just winning games at UTSA—he’s the godfather of Texas high school football. The guy has recruiting ties in every corner of the state, from Dallas to Houston to San Antonio. That’s exactly what Oklahoma State needs right now, because let’s be honest: OSU has struggled to consistently lock down top Texas talent while OU and Texas cherry-pick the best.
Traylor has proven he can take under-recruited kids and turn them into champions. Give him Big 12 money, Boone Pickens’ ghost riding shotgun, and an actual recruiting budget, and he could turn Stillwater into a pipeline straight from Texas Friday nights to Boone Pickens Saturdays. He’s tough, he’s no-nonsense, and his teams reflect that. If OSU wants to reclaim Texas, Traylor is the guy to do it.
3. Kalen DeBoer (Alabama HC)
Pipe dream? Maybe. Hear me out: Nick Saban had a total of four losses to ranked opponents in his entire Alabama career. We’re only in year two of the DeBoer era, and he’s already sitting on four—including that ugly loss to FSU. Combine that with Bama fans still in full denial that Saban is gone, and it wouldn’t be shocking if DeBoer gets run out of Tuscaloosa earlier rather than later. If that happens, Stillwater should be first in line with the keys to the Boone Pickens jet.
2. Jim Knowles (Ohio State DC)
If there’s one name that would get me personally fired up, it’s Jim Knowles. I’ll never forget being in Boone Pickens Stadium in 2021, my senior year, watching that defense absolutely suffocate teams. The iconic moment of him lighting up a cigar after Bedlam? Goosebumps. That was swagger. That was dominance.
I said it back then and got called crazy for it, but I stand by it: Oklahoma State had a top three defense in the country in 2021. You couldn’t run on them, you couldn’t throw on them, and every game felt like a fistfight. That was all Knowles.
He bolted for Ohio State, sure, but Cowboys fans never forgot the magic. If OSU could back up the Brinks truck and convince him to come back, it would be the ultimate culture reset. Knowles already proved he can build a nasty, physical defense in Stillwater—imagine what he could do with his boosted resume and having the final say.
1. Jon Gruden (Former Raiders HC / Monday Night Football Icon)
Gruden has openly hinted at wanting to coach college football, and Stillwater would be the perfect stage for his chaos. Picture “Chucky” storming the sidelines, headset on, jaw clenched, turning Boone Pickens Stadium into WrestleMania every Saturday. And let’s be real—OSU fans are wired differently. When your current coach goes on record saying he’s drank and drove “at least 1000x,” nothing shocks this fanbase anymore. Gruden wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow.
Who would’ve expected Deion Sanders to Colorado, or Bill Belichick to North Carolina? College football thrives on insanity, and Gruden-to-OSU would fit right in. With Barstool Sports confirming they’re in talks with the Big 12 conference, this move would bring the type of modern chaos Stillwater usually avoids—a place where “modernism” stops at Cane’s raising their prices. Love him or hate him, Gruden would be a breath of fresh air and the ultimate circus hire.
Closing Thoughts
Will OSU actually pull the trigger and fire Mike Gundy? Probably not. He is Cowboy football at this point. But if Tulsa or more Big 12 embarrassments pile up, anything is possible and when it does, these names will keep popping up—dream hires, chaos hires, and Cowboy legends alike.