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'This place is who I am': Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy nears 400th game as a Cowboy

jacob unruh, the oklahoman
·4 min read

STILLWATER — Mike Gundy will reach a huge milestone when Oklahoma State plays at West Virginia on Saturday.

The longtime coach will participate in his 400th game as a Cowboys coach and player.

“The majority of my life has been here,” Gundy said.

Gundy arrived as a quarterback in 1986 and played four seasons. He remained an assistant coach for five seasons, left for five and returned for five more in 2001. Gundy took over the Cowboys as the head coach in 2005.

“We’ve seen a lot, done a lot here, built a lot here,” Gundy said at his weekly news conference Monday. “We have Oklahoma State football at a level that has a national brand. We’re very proud of that. Those are things that I enjoy.”

Here is a quick look at Gundy’s tenure.

More: Oklahoma State football report card: Ollie Gordon, Collin Oliver shine in win vs. Kansas

Mike Gundy will participate in his 400th game as an Oklahoma State coach and player when the Cowboys play at West Virginia on Saturday.
Mike Gundy will participate in his 400th game as an Oklahoma State coach and player when the Cowboys play at West Virginia on Saturday.

Quarterback — 46 games (30-16 record)

Assistant coach/offensive coordinator — 116 games (46-67-3)

Head coach — 237 games (160-77)

Add the totals up and it amounts to 399 games in orange and black entering the trip to Morgantown, West Virginia.

And Gundy will be quick to point out other successes, such as more than 500 players graduating from the university under his watch.

“That’s a big deal to me,” said Gundy, who is also three Big 12 wins shy of 100.

There is also a huge sense of pride for Gundy to have such a legacy with the Cowboys.

“This is just who I am,” Gundy said. “This place is who I am. I’ve been lucky that they've kept me around here for this long. They’ve had a number of chances to run me off and they hadn’t done it. But 400 games is a lot of games to be in one spot.”

Here are takeaways from what else Gundy discussed Monday.

More: Oklahoma State football report card: Ollie Gordon, Collin Oliver shine in win vs. Kansas

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy walks with child cancer survivors to Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater before the Cowboys' game against Kansas on Saturday.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy walks with child cancer survivors to Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater before the Cowboys' game against Kansas on Saturday.

Dalton Cooper expected to practice

Gundy said left tackle Dalton Cooper is expected to practice this week after suffering an injury early in the win over Kansas.

Cooper, a Texas State transfer from Prague, played just 18 snaps before suffering the undisclosed injury.

More: How Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma State defense turned tide of big plays in upset of Kansas

Ollie Gordon’s big day a throwback to Gundy playing days

OSU star running back Ollie Gordon II was the first player in program history to rush for more than 100 yards and have more than 100 receiving yards in a single game since Gerald Hudson in 1989.

Hudson had 108 rushing yards and 113 receiving yards on No. 4, 1989, against Kansas. And the quarterback was Gundy.

“I hadn’t thought about it but it’s ironic that that happened,” Gundy said.

Gordon was named the Big 12’s co-offensive player of the week on Monday after he rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries while catching six passes for 116 yards and a score.

No other FBS player has reached those same totals in a game the past seven seasons. And only five — including Gordon — have done so since 2000.

'You feel unstoppable': Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon continues to elevate game, Cowboys

Garrett Greene runs better than expected

Gundy said West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene has been very effective this season operating the Mountaineers’ offense.

“He’s not a burner,” Gundy said. “He’s more effective than you think. He runs better than you think and then he doesn’t get caught a lot of times. He did that to us out here last year.”

Last season, Greene rushed for just 47 yards in the win over OSU, but he did have a 36-yard score on the ground.

More: Oklahoma State football's Brennan Presley eases Cowboys' red-zone issues to beat Kansas

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene throws a pass against Penn State on Sept. 2 in State College, Pa.
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene throws a pass against Penn State on Sept. 2 in State College, Pa.

Gundy breaks out new dance move

Gundy is not looking to rename his famous dance moves in post-game locker rooms. But he has added something new.

A handstand — or something college students would likely call something else having to do with a large, silver alcoholic beverage container — that has been featured the past two victories.

“Put a new spice to it,” Gundy said. “Hopefully, I get to do it a lot more.”

Gundy joked that he originally intended to walk across the room on his hands but there were too many players in the way.

Mussatto: Mike Gundy was awfully conservative in OSU's upset of Kansas. But a win's a win.

Quotable

“We were awful. You can say it,” Gundy said in response to a question regarding the Cowboys’ improved tackling after a poor start this season.

Jacob Unruh covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jacob? He can be reached at junruh@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jacobunruh. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Jacob’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 AT WEST VIRGINIA

KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W. Va. (ESPN)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy to participate in 400th game as Cowboy