Gundy on his future: ‘I hope to coach about 10 more years’
Published: 3/7/2012 12:34 PM
Last Modified: 3/7/2012 5:59 PM
Mike Gundy was named head coach when he was 37. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
What about Gundy today? Does he feel as energized at 44 as he did at 37?
“Yeah. My goal is to keep it until I’m 50,” Gundy said during an hour-long interview on Tuesday. “My goal is to keep this energy level until I’m 50. Maybe I’ll keep it until I’m 55. This job can wear you down. Once somebody started making these (cell phones), then there is no break.
“ . . . Are there signs of age on me from this job? Yeah, there is. . . . There are guys who tell you that there will come a time when it wears you out and it’s not fun anymore. That hasn’t gotten to me yet.”
How much longer does Gundy want to coach football?
“I hope to coach about 10 more years,” he replied. “I just don’t know if I’ll have the energy to do it at 55 and do it the right way.”
December was a difficult month for Gundy. In addition to shouldering the pressure of preparing Oklahoma State’s football team for a Fiesta Bowl clash with Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal, Gundy was involved in a stressful, grinding contract negotiation with his alma mater.
A few days after OSU conquered Stanford in an overtime classic, Gundy got his contract – an eight-year deal believed to be worth slightly less than $30 million. It was a reward for the Cowboys having become nationally relevant. Since the start of the 2008 season, OSU is 41-11. The 2011 Cowboys were Big 12 champions. If not for a double-overtime defeat at Iowa State, OSU would have played for the national championship.
The new contract positions Gundy among the highest-paid coaches in college football. Does that result in more pressure to sustain a high level of achievement?
“Less pressure,” Gundy said. “It’s only human nature. In our profession, moving is no fun. . . . For the most part, I can be here as long as I want – to a certain extent.
“ . . . I would prefer just to retire here. I don’t have a desire to coach anywhere else, really. That doesn’t mean that when people come to you, you don’t listen. But I don’t have a desire to do it.”
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
