Mike Gundy makes honest admission about his future
Sep 16, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Cowboys won 59-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Some coaches at both the pro and college levels of football admit that the grind of the job can wear on them. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy is not one of them.
The 55-year-old Gundy admitted he feels better than he has in years, and openly said he sees himself coaching past age 65.
“I feel better now than I have in years and years. I’m thinking way down the line. I thought at one time at 65 I’d be checking in and I don’t see that happening now, if I feel good,” Gundy said, via Zach Barnett of Football Scoop.
Gundy admitted part of that is down to how easy he finds the job. The Oklahoma State coach said his big staff can essentially run the program by itself, which was not always the case.
“We have a big staff now,” Gundy continued. “I don’t really do anything anymore. Honestly, I don’t. Gage, my 17-year-old, he comes in at my desk and he sees me thinking and he says, ‘You don’t do anything. What do you do? You just sit there.’ And I said, ‘Well, believe it or not, they pay me to think. And so I’m thinking.'”
You won’t hear many coaches this open about their desire to keep working for a long time. On the other hand, 70-year-old Nick Saban is not giving any thought to calling it quits either. From Gundy’s perspective, that is probably good company to keep.
