Mike Gundy Apologizes for Ripping Oklahoma State Fans: 'My Intent Was Not to Offend'

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy issued an apology on Wednesday for his criticism of fans complaining about the Cowboys' 3-6 start to the season.

"I apologize to those who my comments during Monday's media call offended," Gundy wrote in a post shared on X. "My intent was not to offend any of our fans who have supported us and this program through the years."

Gundy called fans criticizing Oklahoma State a "failure" in his conference call on Monday.

"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," Gundy said on Monday. "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 b---hing about this and that, versus just doing something about it and trying to figure out a way to make it better.

"Well, that's what happens in college athletics... it's just on the bigger stage where people can voice their opinion, and in most cases, the people that are negative and voicing their opinion are the same ones that can't pay their own bills. 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."

The Cowboys suffered their sixth straight loss last Saturday against visiting Arizona State. Oklahoma State has yet to claim a win against a Big 12 opponent.

This marks the first time the Cowboys have gone 0-6 in conference play since Gundy took over the program in 2005, and the first time Oklahoma State has marked six straight losses since 2000.

The Cowboys went 4-7 in 2005 during Gundy's first season as head coach. Since 2006, Oklahoma State has marked a winning record in 18 straight seasons, winning at least seven games and appearing in a bowl game every year.

The consecutive bowl games and winning records are not the only streaks at risk. Oklahoma State is at risk of going without a win in conference play for the first time since 1994, when the program was a member of the Big Eight.

Gundy played quarterback for Oklahoma State from 1986 to 1989, where he led the Cowboys to two bowl wins. He began his coaching career as a staffer at Oklahoma State in 1990 and also worked with Baylor and Maryland before taking the Cowboys head coaching job in 2005.

In 2021, Gundy agreed to a "perpetual five-year contract" with Oklahoma State. His annual salary was increased to $7.5 million with $125,000 annual escalators in 2022.

Left on the Cowboys' schedule this season is a road game against TCU on Saturday, followed by the last home game of the year against Texas Tech and a season finale matchup at No. 21 Colorado. Oklahoma State will look for big performances from wideout Brennan Presley, who could set a program record for career receptions this year, and safety Trey Rucker, who has been key to the Cowboys defense, as they look to win out.