Oklahoma State Football: The 10 Most Important People in the Program

Oklahoma State is a big-time football program for the first time in its history. As with all programs, there are certain people responsible for the rise and fall of the program.

Ten people in this Cowboy football program deserve most of the credit.

Mike Gundy, T. Boone Pickens and Brandon Weeden have all played huge parts in the surge over the last four years.

Here are the 10 most important people in this football program.

T. Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens is one of the most well-known college donors in the nation.

Ranked by Forbes as the 319th-richest person in the United States, Pickens has an estimated net worth of over $1.4 billion.

In total, Pickens has donated over $400 million to Oklahoma State University, 66 percent of that going to the athletic department.

Pickens is the most important man in the Cowboy football program because it's his pocketbook that has enabled the Cowboys to have the type of successes they've had.

Mike Gundy

An elite quarterback for Oklahoma State in the late 1980s, Mike Gundy has been the head coach of the Cowboys since the 2005 season when he took over for the departed Les Miles.

Gundy has since compiled a 58-30 head coaching record, going 40-11 in the past four seasons.

Without Gundy, this program would have gone nowhere. He's the homegrown hero who's poised to spend his entire career in Stillwater.

Mike Holder

Mike Holder is the athletic director and former men's golf coach at Oklahoma State.

As the golf coach, Holder won 25 conference championships and eight national championships, making the Cowboys one of the elite golf programs in the nation.

As the athletic director, Holder's biggest contribution is the construction of an athletic village that houses all Cowboy athletics and the renovation (with T. Boone Pickens' money) of Boone Pickens Stadium.

Holder is the guy who will keep Gundy in Stillwater and Pickens' money flowing. That puts him up there as far as importance in how the Cowboy program goes.

Brandon Weeden

Every once in awhile in a program, there comes along a player at just the right time that changes the culture entirely.

Brandon Weeden is that player at Oklahoma State.

Already considered the greatest quarterback in school history, Weeden has thrown for 8,605 yards and 68 touchdowns.

Weeden was a big reason the Cowboys switched to a pass-first offense.

He'll be remembered as the guy that put this program on the path to greatness.

Bill Young

As the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Bill Young has taken a defense that was one of the worst in the country at everything and made it into the best turnover-forcing unit in the nation.

The Cowboys led the nation in turnovers forced and led the Big 12 in defensive pass efficiency.

Without Bill Young, the Cowboys would just be another defenseless offense.

Todd Monken

Todd Monken did something that no one thought was possible; he took over one of the best offenses in the country and made it better.

His NFL experience was crucial in bringing Brandon Weeden and the offense along to another level. He's been rumored for most of the open head coaching jobs out there, according to KTUL.

The Cowboys need to keep this guy. He's important.

Joe Wickline

Joe Wickline is the unsung hero of this Oklahoma State program.

As offensive line coach, he's always had stellar lines even while recruiting and coaching different systems. In the current offense, Wickline's boys have given up just over 20 sacks in two years.

He's stayed at OSU despite better offers. Cowboys fans should pray that continues.

Justin Blackmon

Justin Blackmon will be the third Oklahoma State wide receiver taken in the first round in the last 10 years come April.

His production has been outstanding (35 touchdowns, over 3,000 receiving yards in two years) and has shown young recruits how Oklahoma State can take a kid who isn't highly recruited and make him into a star.

Blackmon is a star, and his effect as a player on the OSU program is surpassed only by Brandon Weeden.

Burns Hargis

Burns Hargis is the president of Oklahoma State, which basically means he answers to no one but T. Boone Pickens.

As the boss of Mike Holder and Mike Gundy, Hargis clearly deserves credit for the success that has come to the program.

A good president is someone every athletic director and coach needs on their side.

Pistol Pete

How could I leave this guy out?

Pistol Pete is the most visibly recognizable symbol of OSU around the country. He gets the fans fired up and is one of the friendliest mascots in college football.

Where would OSU be without Pistol Pete? I don't know, but Pistol Pete is just too cool not to mention.