STILLWATER — The Oklahoma A&M Colleges Board of Regents met for just over two hours Friday morning to discuss the employment of the Oklahoma State football coaching staff — primarily focused on head coach Mike Gundy — but the executive session ended with no action being taken.
“We have a plan,” Board chair Jimmy Harrel told the media as he left the meeting room. “As soon as we have it tied down, we’ll inform you of it.”
Harrel declined to add any further detail to what was discussed in the two-hour meeting at the OSU student union.
No other regents spoke to the media, nor did OSU president Kayse Shrum or athletic director Chad Weiberg, both of whom were brought into the meeting’s executive session about 45 minutes after it began.
They exited immediately before the executive session ended and the meeting was adjourned.
OSU dismissed offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo on Wednesday, but Friday’s special meeting was posted at approximately the same time “for the purpose of considering evaluation/assessment and other information relevant to the employment of Oklahoma State University football staff.”
Though it was not specifically stated by anyone, the focus of the meeting was believed to be focused on Gundy and his contract status in the aftermath of a 3-9 season the struggles of which were exacerbated by Gundy’s comments about unhappy fans.
He said complaining fans are “weak,” and “can’t pay their own bills,” later adding that they are “the same failure that they were before they said anything negative about anybody else.”
While the board could attempt to use that behavior against Gundy as cause for termination, it would be a difficult mountain to climb. Gundy’s contract buyout for termination with cause is approximately $25.3 million. It was anticipated that Friday’s meeting could entail anything from Gundy’s termination, a renegotiation of his contract or nothing at all.
Any further action by the board would require another special meeting or would need to be added to the agenda of the next regular meeting, which is set for late January.
