Sources: Gundy, OSU agree to restructured deal
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
Oklahoma State and Mike Gundy have reached an agreement on a restructured contract, and he will remain the Cowboys’ coach, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
The two sides had discussions Friday and Saturday about a new deal after the Oklahoma A&M regents, who oversee Oklahoma State, held a special meeting Friday morning to discuss Gundy’s employment and other football staff employment matters. The meeting did not end with any resolution Friday, but board chair Jimmy Harrel told local reporters, “We have a plan.”
As part of the restructuring of Gundy’s contract, his $7.75 million annual salary will be reduced to be redistributed as part of revenue sharing with players, and his buyout will be reduced, sources told ESPN. Gundy would have been owed $25.3 million had he been fired without cause.
Sources said Gundy was already on board to give up part of his salary to help with revenue sharing but that the two sides differed initially on the amount of the salary reduction, leading to two days of uncertainty surrounding his future.
Sources told ESPN that Gundy had the support of school president Kayse Shrum and athletic director Chad Weiberg but that at least one regent was in favor of moving on from Gundy.
Gundy is Oklahoma State’s all-time winningest coach and has led his alma mater to a 169-88 record since being promoted to the role in 2004. Gundy guided the Cowboys to the Big 12 title in 2011, league runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2023, and 18 consecutive bowl appearances before this season, when he recorded his worst record at 3-9 and went winless in conference play. Oklahoma State ended its season a week ago when it fell 52-0 at Colorado.
Gundy’s previous deal was a rolling five-year contract, which extends on Jan. 1 of each year he is employed by the school.
Gundy on Wednesday fired offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo, and he had started reaching out to potential replacements when the special board meeting was called for Friday morning. Part of the conversations during that meeting centered around Gundy’s hiring of assistant coaches and whether more oversight was needed in terms of contract structure, sources said.
In 2020, Gundy agreed to a $1 million salary cut, a shortened contract and a reduced buyout following a review of the program, which came after star running back Chuba Hubbard criticized the coach for wearing a T-shirt from One America News on social media. Mike Holder, then Oklahoma State’s athletic director, said Gundy offered all the contract changes and praised the coach for doing so.
Gundy, an Oklahoma State star quarterback who became the Big Eight’s career passing leader, is a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year with the school. His teams have had 10 AP top-20 finishes, rising as high as No. 3 in 2011, when Oklahoma State won the Fiesta Bowl. Prior to this year’s dip, the Cowboys had won 10 or more games in eight of their previous 14 seasons.
He also made several controversial statements during his tenure, including last month, when in responding to criticism of the team, he said, “Most cases, the people that are negative and voicing their opinion are the same ones that can’t pay their own bills.” Gundy later apologized for his comments.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Jake Trotter, Max Olson and Pete Thamel contributed to this report.
TORONTO — Blue Jays outfielder George Springer skipped into third base on a key RBI hit by teammate Alejandro Kirk, and hopped right into an inning-ending out in the fifth on Sunday against the Athletics.
Springer was called out following a replay review after Athletics third baseman Max Schuemann alertly kept his glove on the Blue Jays right fielder while Springer hopped up and down on third base.
Springer, who had reached on an RBI single that opened the scoring for Toronto, was celebrating Kirk’s double that cut the deficit to 3-2.
The out call meant Toronto slugger Addison Barger didn’t get to bat with runners at second and third.
Schuemann had just entered the game as a defensive replacement, taking over for Miguel Andujar.
The Athletics had lost five straight and 16 of 17 entering Sunday.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Slumping Rangers slugger Adolis García was held out of Texas’ lineup for the third consecutive day Sunday, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying the club wants the 2023 ALCS MVP to make some mechanical changes.
“We need him to kind of commit to some of these changes that we think will get him back to the ’23 version of himself and help him be the player that we know he can be,” Young said before Texas’ series finale against St. Louis.
García is hitting .155 in the past 20 games with 25 strikeouts. He is hitting .208 overall, with seven homers and a team-high 27 RBIs for a Rangers club that has struggled offensively. He ranked 14th in the majors with 122 home runs over the past four seasons.
García, who has started 55 of Texas’ 60 games in right field this season, missed only one other game before this weekend, with manager Bruce Bochy saying Friday that García was being given a mental break.
“It’s about the mental reset and coming back with more energy,” García told reporters Saturday. “I’m working on some stuff without the pressure of having to do something up there.”
García, 32, is in the final season of a two-year contract.
The anticipated return of Evan Carter to the active roster Tuesday, joining Wyatt Langford, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty, further crowds the Rangers outfield as García tries to return to the lineup.
“It’s going to be performance-driven at this point,” Young said.
Texas also made three roster moves before Sunday’s game. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (triceps fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday, catcher Tucker Barnhart was designated for assignment, and right-hander Codi Heuer was selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
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