Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy posted an apology Tuesday night for comments he made during his weekly Monday news conference, where he suggested fans being negative about the 3-6 Cowboys "can't pay their own bills."
"I apologize to those who my comments during Monday's media call offended," Gundy wrote in a post on X. "My intent was not to offend any of our fans who have supported us and this program through the years."
— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) November 6, 2024
Gundy, mired in a six-game losing streak for the first time in his 20-year tenure as head coach, urged fans to continue to trust him during his Monday video conference with reporters.
The preseason No. 18-ranked Cowboys entered the year with Big 12 title expectations but are 0-6 in conference play and one loss away from clinching their first losing season since 2005.
"Kind of the synopsis of all of this is that this place has had tremendous success for 18½ years or 19 -- I can't do the math real good," Gundy said at the news conference. "Unfortunately, in life, most people are weak and as soon as things start to not go as good as what they thought, they fall apart and they panic.
"And then they want to point the finger and blame other people. You see it happen in everyday life. People do it all the time. That's why I refuse to watch the TV and watch the news because I get tired of people complaining and bitching about this and that versus just doing something about it and trying to figure out a way to make it better."
Gundy, the winningest coach in program history, went 4-7 in his debut year in 2005 and has led Oklahoma State to bowl games in every season since. The Cowboys played for a Big 12 championship in 2023 and finished No. 16 in the AP poll with a 10-4 record.
"[I]n most cases, the people that are negative and voicing their opinion are the same ones that can't pay their own bills," Gundy said. "They're not taking care of themselves. They're not taking care of their own family. They're not taking care of their own job. But they have an obligation to speak out and complain about others because it makes them feel better.
"But then, in the end, when they go to bed at night, they're the same failure that they were before they said anything negative about anybody else."
Oklahoma State president Dr. Kayse Shrum said in a statement that Gundy's comments on Monday "did not reflect the position" of the university.
"He has subsequently issued a statement to apologize for those offensive remarks," Shrum's statement said. "We are grateful for the dedicated OSU fans and donors who make our success possible and appreciate their support during this challenging season."
Oklahoma State will go on the road to face TCU (5-4, 3-3) in Fort Worth on Saturday and then has an idle week before closing out its regular season against Texas Tech and Colorado.