How hectic world of college coaching brought David Glidden back to Oklahoma State football

STILLWATER — Already in his young college football coaching career, David Glidden has seen how fast life can change.

For that reason, he’s relishing the opportunity to be back at his alma mater, 60 miles from his hometown of Mustang, even if it turns out to be for just one season.

Last winter, after five years on the coaching staff at Memphis, Glidden was among a group of assistants let go following a 7-6 season that left head coach Ryan Silverfield fighting to keep his job.

Shortly after, Glidden was hired as an analyst at Oklahoma State, where he had been an impactful slot receiver and punt returner from 2012-15.

Eight years after his last pass reception, he returned to the offices of Boone Pickens Stadium and immediately began making an impact once again.

“David’s been great,” said offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn, who didn’t recruit Glidden, but coached him for four years. “It’s been fun having him back. I love him to death, because he’s enthusiasm. He’s bouncing around, he’s straight energy. He loves this place and he’s talking to the wideouts all the time and keeps them going.”

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During his Memphis days, Glidden leaned on Dunn as a sort of mentor, but the connection turned out to be much more valuable when Glidden found himself without a job.

“I would check in with Coach Dunn, just looking for advice or anything having to do with getting used to what this business is,” the 31-year-old Glidden told The Oklahoman. “Once the opportunity came and I got a call from these guys that they had a spot open, it was a no-brainer.

“It feels awesome being back in this place, this building, with a lot of familiar faces.”

With the Cowboys (2-2) off this week and taking extra time to address their recent struggles in preparation for the 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6 game against Kansas State at Boone Pickens Stadium, an analyst like Glidden can provide fresh ideas for the coaching staff.

“He’s valuable in our staff room,” head coach Mike Gundy said. “He’s like a full-time coach. He’s in our staff room. He can give ideas. He was at Memphis and they were good on offense, so he’s like having another coach.”

Because he’s not a full-time coach, Glidden faces certain NCAA limits in how hands-on he can be from a coaching perspective when on the field. He can assist the coaches and offer encouragement, which is where that enthusiasm Dunn mentioned comes into play. Away from the field, Glidden can be involved in film study and he can talk ball with the players in the team facility.

“Big Dave, that’s what I call him,” 6-foot-1, 215-pound OSU receiver Blaine Green said of Glidden, who was listed at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds as a player. “He’s been real cool. He came in the spring and he offers perspective from someone who’s been here in the past and knows what Coach Dunn expects. All the little things. Like, maybe I’ll not have the right angle on a block, or maybe I’ll run a route a certain way and he can tell me stuff about little details I could do better.

“It’s just good to have somebody who has been in your position.”

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Glidden doesn’t know what next year will hold. His desire remains to be a full-time coach, and based on the longevity of Gundy’s staff, waiting for an opening in Stillwater could be a long game.

But Glidden isn’t afraid to move if that’s what is best for his career.

After his playing days, Glidden spent some time with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2016 preseason. But when that ended, he was already filling the pull toward coaching.

He first landed as a volunteer at Mustang High School, and in 2017, he got a paid position, also teaching a computer class.

But during a recruiting visit to Mustang, Memphis head coach Mike Norvell (now the head coach at Florida State) and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham (now the head coach at Arizona State) were intrigued by Glidden. When Glidden was a budding high school star, Norvell had tried to recruit him to Tulsa, where he was coaching under Todd Graham at the time.

“It was a huge full-circle moment when (Norvell) walked into Mustang High School and I was running the weight room,” Glidden said. “A week later, they called and offered me a quality control spot.”

Glidden spent his first two years at Memphis helping with receivers, and during that time, he got an up-close look at the business of college coaching.

“I saw a lot of coaches come and go. A lot,” he said. “Not because of bad reasons. A lot of them were there and making a jump to wherever else and excelling in their careers. But it was a lot of movement.”

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After Glidden’s second season at Memphis, Norvell was hired at Florida State and he offered Glidden a job similar to what he was in on the Memphis staff.

“We were playing in the Cotton Bowl,” Glidden said. “I was all packed up, ready to come back to Oklahoma to see my family for a couple days before I head to Tallahassee.”

But Silverfield, then the Memphis offensive line coach, was promoted to the head job and reached out to Glidden with an offer to be the tight ends coach.

“Florida State was a step up from Memphis, so it would’ve been an improvement,” Glidden said. “But the new head coach offered me a full-time position, which was a no-brainer.”

After one year coaching tight ends, Glidden moved to receivers, where he spent the next two years before his departure.

“He’ll get back in the game eventually,” Gundy said. “It’s a tough business to be in when you’re young and you’re just getting started. If something like what happens to him happens, it’s difficult to overcome, because you don’t know a lot of people. But he’s valuable to us, because he gives really good input in staff meetings.”

Glidden can’t predict what will come next. He couldn’t have predicted any of the previous steps that got him here. But he knows he wants to continue pushing forward as a college coach.

“A lot of people have been a lot of different places in their coaching career,” said Glidden, who got married in May. “Fortunately for me up to this point, I haven’t had a ton of moving — which my wife is happy for that so far.

“But eventually, that’s still the goal, to get up there and climb the ladder and see where it takes you.”

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

OSU vs. Kansas State

KICKOFF: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Hectic college coaching path returns David Glidden to Oklahoma State