Oklahoma State will play its first game without Mike Gundy as its head coach since 2004 when the Cowboys host Baylor on Saturday at Stillwater, Okla.
Gundy, 170-90 since becoming the Cowboys’ coach in 2005 after serving as offensive coordinator from 2001-04, lost 11 of his last 12 games dating to last season before the school announced his firing Tuesday.
Offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Doug Meacham will be the interim coach when the Cowboys (1-2) open their Big 12 schedule against Baylor (2-2, 0-1).
After a season-opening win over UT Martin, Oklahoma State has lost 69-3 at No. 6 Oregon and 19-12 against Tulsa at home. It was the Cowboys’ first loss to the Golden Hurricanes since 1998 and their first home loss in the series since 1951.
“When I was hired here to take this job, ever since that day I’ve put my heart and soul into this,” Gundy said Monday during his weekly press conference.
Oklahoma State’s players have 30 days to announce a transfer with the portal opening following the coaching change on Tuesday. Considering the team has played just three games, players could announce they are entering the portal before or after Saturday’s game and take a redshirt this season, if eligible.
Baylor coach Dave Aranda has had to deal with similar rumblings about his job security, especially after the Bears started last season 2-4 before winning six straight games en route to a Texas Bowl appearance that the Bears lost to LSU.
Baylor opened as a 20.5-point favorite against Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys were double-digit favorites against Tulsa but allowed the Golden Hurricanes to rack up 424 yards. Tulsa took the lead at the 9:36 mark of the first quarter and never gave it back.
The Bears are coming off a 27-24 loss on a last-second field goal at home against Arizona State.
Aranda’s defense yielded big plays against the Sun Devils down the stretch, including a 61-yard pass on a third-and-13 play at the Arizona State 13 that led to a touchdown with less than six minutes remaining.
The Sun Devils set up Jesus Gomez’s game-winning 43-yard field goal by moving 49 yards in 11 plays over the last 1:52.
“When you get in spots like that, it doesn’t need to be, ‘Uh-oh, here goes the defense out,”’ Aranda said. “It needs to be, ‘Oh, here we go. Watch them, they’re going to win this game right here.’ We’re not there yet. We need to be able to do that.”