By Janelle Stecklein, Oklahoma Voice
I found myself stunned when I learned that Oklahoma State University would be paying its underperforming coach $15 million to go away.
Because most Oklahomans who perform below expectation at their jobs are summarily fired, most often without severance or a massive payday.
But not Mike Gundy.
Despite losing 11 of his last 12 games and proving last year he has no respect for Oklahoma State University’s average fan base, Gundy is expected to walk away with a hefty $15 million payday thanks to a buyout provision in his contract that protects him when he gets fired.
Obviously someone in high places is looking out for him, but who is looking out for the rest of us?
Imagine how many scholarships $15 million could pay for. Or perhaps it could be used to reduce tuition rates for in-state residents.
Gundy’s $15 million buyout comes as Oklahoma’s higher education governing board approved average tuition increases of 1.9 percent, or about $121 annually. While OSU didn’t ask for a hike, 15 others did, including the University of Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, the average Oklahoma college student carried $32,200 in debt, according to the Education Data Initiative, which collects and analyzes education statistics. That $15 million could erase student debt for hundreds of students.
But don’t worry your pretty little heads about that, we apparently have plenty to invest as long as it’s on winning football teams and coaches.
What message does that say about our priorities?
College football has always been an expensive endeavor, and universities desperate to win are increasingly promising to fork out big money to land top coaching talent. But as the landscape continues to shift with revenue sharing and name, image and likeness deals and ever-shifting player allegiances thanks to a busy transfer portal, I find myself wondering how much is too much to spend on buying out losers.
Someone pointed out that Oklahoma State University got off relatively easy with its buyout compared to what other public universities are potentially on the hook to pay if they want to rid themselves of underperforming head coaches.
Sports Illustrated looked at college football coaches contracts and found that University of Georgia coach Kirby Smart would be owed over $118 million. Former University of Oklahoma head football coach Lincoln Riley, who fans love to hate, purportedly stands to make $90 million if he’s fired from the University of Southern California. The University of Alabama would be on the hook to pay its coach, Kalen DeBoer, around $70 million if he’s fired. Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian would receive $64 million. And Mike Norvell, who coaches at Florida State, has a negotiated buyout of $63 million.
The coaches at Louisiana State University, the University of Miami, Clemson, Pennsylvania State University and Nebraska round out the top 10 biggest winners if they’re losers, according to Sports Illustrated’s analysis.
If fired, University of Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables will receive his guaranteed compensation, though he’s required to try to find similar work to help offset the university’s costs, The Oklahoman reported in August. Venables is expected to make $7.55 million per season and his contract runs through 2029.
I get that college football is a business, and universities and their fan bases want to win. But are the leaders of our public institutions of higher education being good stewards of their resources if they’re agreeing to pay tens of millions of dollars when they fire people who aren’t meeting minimum expectations?
Former OSU President Kasey Shrum inked her name on Gundy’s latest contract in December 2024. She chose to retain Gundy despite his terrible performance both on and off the field.
Under the terms of the current contract, OSU wouldn’t have had to pay Gundy if he was found to be insubordinate, in violation of athletic rules, had a criminal conviction or engaged in conduct that “brings the employee into public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule or that reflects unfavorably on the reputation or the high moral or ethical standards of the University.”
Having a losing record doesn’t count, though it should.
Last year, Gundy definitely opened both himself and OSU to contempt and ridicule when he said people who were critical of his team’s subpar 3-7 record were “the same ones that can’t pay their own bills” and called those same people “failures.” OSU fans, including donors, were furious. But rather than being fired, Gundy got a new contract that guaranteed the massive buyout and allowed him to have another losing season.
OSU soon will likely enter into negotiations with Gundy’s successor. It will be interesting to see what sort of buyout they guarantee him.
A few months ago, Joe Castiglione, OU’s vice president and director of athletics, told members of the Oklahoma State Chamber that his school is focusing on college athletics as a business, and that his school’s expenses are growing much more rapidly than revenue.
OU sports will have a $225 million budget built by generating its own investments, he said.
“We live by a scoreboard for many people in our world so that’s how they measure whether or not we’re successful,” he said.
That may be true, but let’s not forget what universities are here to do – educate our future workforce and do it in the most cost-effective way possible.
Regents have said they’re planning to press the Legislature to increase their funding.
But maybe Oklahoma lawmakers have the funding allotment correct if two of our largest universities can afford to pay eye-popping amounts to guarantee buyouts of football contracts while the average Oklahoman struggles to afford tuition.
