Mike Gundy's buyout reduced by $10 million favors Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy entered his 21st season as the head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys with uncertainty. After finishing 2024 with a 3-9 record, including a winless Big 12 slate, the nation's second-longest tenured coach in FBS renegotiated his deal with the school. 

One of the most notable adjustments was Gundy's buyout clause. As of December of last year, the amount was set at $25.3 million. That figure dropped down by nearly 40 percent. He agreed to a smaller buyout as an acknowledgement that 2024 was awful.

Gundy said earlier this year he was "Just trying to position Oklahoma State football the best we can" given the changing landscape of college athletics and that the goal was to "feed" the winning culture he established, not just "establish it."

Mike Gundy's new contract and buyout

Gundy's new contract runs through 2028 and pays him $6.75 million in 2025 with a $125,000 raise annually, according to CBS Sports. Oklahoma State now has a flat rate to buy him out at $15 million through the end of the 2027 season. The figure drops to $10 million in 2028. 

What makes the terms of his deal weird is the succession clause. Gundy will be involved "in identifying, evaluating and developing a successor for the Employee's position, as well as facilitating a smooth transition to such successor." This goes away if they get rid of him early. 

Gundy was once a model of consistency and achievement in college football. Now it's a different story in Stillwater. The Cowboys are now 1-2 on the season before the start of Big 12 play. History says that Gundy will get the train back on the tracks, but we'll see that happens. Tulsa beats OSU on the road for the first time since 1951. 

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