Former Oklahoma State Offensive Coordinator Kasey Dunn says he still isn’t sure where things went off the rails for the Cowboys in 2024. But another former OSU assistant has some opinions on the matter.
Mike Simons, Tulsa World
But at least one of his former colleagues, also swept out in the purge of 2024, had some distinct opinions. The assistant coach, who asked to remain anonymous, said the sudden demise of OSU football centered on two things, both of which actually went back several seasons:
1. Defensive coordinator;
2. Quarterback.
The Tuesday ScissorTales look at the Porter Moser/Jay Wright relationship, list the Southeastern Conference home run leaders and update my NCAA Tournament bracket game. But we start with OSU football, which begins spring practice Tuesday, the first spring practice, or any other kind of football practice, without Dunn since 2010.
“We went into the season, just a lot of things didn’t transpire,” Dunn said of the nine-game losing streak in 2024 after a 3-0 start. “It is what it is. Hate to kind of go out on that note. But yeah, couple injuries, here and there, especially on defense. Injuries at receiver. Lot of little things added up.”
All that in a year in which the Cowboys were ranked 17th in the preseason and rose to as high as No. 14 in the Associated Press poll.
Dunn doubts it was complacency.
“We tried to guard against it,” Dunn said. “I know myself and Coach (Mike) Gundy, we made sure you understand, you gotta go to work. The work has got to be put in. That was addressed.
“Complacent? I don’t think so. Not in any way. But we stressed it.”
The anonymous coach said the Cowboy slide started years ago.
First, with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles being allowed to leave for Ohio State after the 2021 season, in which OSU finished 12-2 and No. 7 in the AP poll. The coach said Knowles was ready to sign a contract extension during the 2021 season, a $1.2 million annual salary for three years, but that Gundy slow-played the deal.
Personally, it seems hard to believe that OSU could win a bidding war with Ohio State, but maybe so. Knowles’ defense helped the Buckeyes win the 2024 national championship, but he became disenchanted in Columbus and recently took the Penn State D-coordinator job.
To replace Knowles, Gundy hired Derek Mason for one season, 2022, then hired Bryan Nardo from Gannon University in 2023. Nardo’s 2023 defense was solid but was historically ineffective in 2024. Nardo was fired and now is safeties coach at Charlotte of the American Athletic Conference.
The former Cowboy coach called Nardo “a complete disaster” and said the in-season switch away from the 3-3-5 alignment was “panic.”
However, another OSU source said the defensive staff didn’t give Nardo much respect upon his arrival and that relationship never worked out.
As for quarterback, the former OSU coach said that when backup QB Shane Illingsworth transferred to Nevada after the 2021 season, Gundy erred in not using the transfer portal to add QB depth. OSU used Garret Rangel and Gunnar Gundy, Mike’s son, as backups, and both were needed after Sanders was injured.
“Spencer never got through a season completely healthy,” the coach said. “Then after Spencer, we take a portal quarterback not being a very good player.”
That would be Alan Bowman, who in two seasons as the Cowboy quarterback had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 31/26, which is quite substandard in the 21st century.
A porous defense and ineffective quarterbacking will get you beat most Saturdays. Both will get you beat every Saturday.
“That’s the profession,” the coach said. “It’s a house of cards. Oklahoma State’s been immune to it for quite some time. The success we’ve had has been historic. Make a wrong choice here, have neglect there, and things don’t go your way, (stuff) happens.”
But for many years, Gundy made the right choice, neglected little and things went the Cowboys’ way.
“Extremely proud, having a chance to stay here, chance to be a coordinator here at OSU, go to two Big 12 championships,” Dunn said of his 14-year Stillwater stay. “Just getting in that window as the coordinator, and having all the changes of college football at one point, it was right there.
“Significant era in college football. I was part of that. Thought we weathered it pretty well. Extremely proud of what we did and what we accomplished.”
Dunn’s daughters graduated from Stillwater High School, then became OSU grads. His youngest daughter is studying at OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa.
“It’ll be weird to leave here,” Dunn said. “Lot of memories, lot of great times.”
Dunn’s 14 seasons in Stillwater are believed to be the second-longest stint ever by an OSU assistant football coach, trailing only Jack Baker’s 24 years, 1939-62.
Dunn, 55, would like to keep coaching. The coaching market was tight this offseason, which means it probably will loosen next offseason. He’s thinking college or the National Football League.
Thinking he’d like to take a crack at a national championship or a Super Bowl.
“I’d like to get to a point where you hit the top,” Dunn said.
He came close a couple of times in Stillwater, then the Cowboys collapsed, and Dunn isn’t sure what happened, even though others think they do.
Mike Simons, Tulsa World
But at least one of his former colleagues, also swept out in the purge of 2024, had some distinct opinions. The assistant coach, who asked to remain anonymous, said the sudden demise of OSU football centered on two things, both of which actually went back several seasons:
1. Defensive coordinator;
2. Quarterback.
The Tuesday ScissorTales look at the Porter Moser/Jay Wright relationship, list the Southeastern Conference home run leaders and update my NCAA Tournament bracket game. But we start with OSU football, which begins spring practice Tuesday, the first spring practice, or any other kind of football practice, without Dunn since 2010.
“We went into the season, just a lot of things didn’t transpire,” Dunn said of the nine-game losing streak in 2024 after a 3-0 start. “It is what it is. Hate to kind of go out on that note. But yeah, couple injuries, here and there, especially on defense. Injuries at receiver. Lot of little things added up.”
All that in a year in which the Cowboys were ranked 17th in the preseason and rose to as high as No. 14 in the Associated Press poll.
Dunn doubts it was complacency.
“We tried to guard against it,” Dunn said. “I know myself and Coach (Mike) Gundy, we made sure you understand, you gotta go to work. The work has got to be put in. That was addressed.
“Complacent? I don’t think so. Not in any way. But we stressed it.”
The anonymous coach said the Cowboy slide started years ago.
First, with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles being allowed to leave for Ohio State after the 2021 season, in which OSU finished 12-2 and No. 7 in the AP poll. The coach said Knowles was ready to sign a contract extension during the 2021 season, a $1.2 million annual salary for three years, but that Gundy slow-played the deal.
Personally, it seems hard to believe that OSU could win a bidding war with Ohio State, but maybe so. Knowles’ defense helped the Buckeyes win the 2024 national championship, but he became disenchanted in Columbus and recently took the Penn State D-coordinator job.
To replace Knowles, Gundy hired Derek Mason for one season, 2022, then hired Bryan Nardo from Gannon University in 2023. Nardo’s 2023 defense was solid but was historically ineffective in 2024. Nardo was fired and now is safeties coach at Charlotte of the American Athletic Conference.
The former Cowboy coach called Nardo “a complete disaster” and said the in-season switch away from the 3-3-5 alignment was “panic.”
However, another OSU source said the defensive staff didn’t give Nardo much respect upon his arrival and that relationship never worked out.
As for quarterback, the former OSU coach said that when backup QB Shane Illingsworth transferred to Nevada after the 2021 season, Gundy erred in not using the transfer portal to add QB depth. OSU used Garret Rangel and Gunnar Gundy, Mike’s son, as backups, and both were needed after Sanders was injured.
“Spencer never got through a season completely healthy,” the coach said. “Then after Spencer, we take a portal quarterback not being a very good player.”
That would be Alan Bowman, who in two seasons as the Cowboy quarterback had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 31/26, which is quite substandard in the 21st century.
A porous defense and ineffective quarterbacking will get you beat most Saturdays. Both will get you beat every Saturday.
“That’s the profession,” the coach said. “It’s a house of cards. Oklahoma State’s been immune to it for quite some time. The success we’ve had has been historic. Make a wrong choice here, have neglect there, and things don’t go your way, (stuff) happens.”
But for many years, Gundy made the right choice, neglected little and things went the Cowboys’ way.
“Extremely proud, having a chance to stay here, chance to be a coordinator here at OSU, go to two Big 12 championships,” Dunn said of his 14-year Stillwater stay. “Just getting in that window as the coordinator, and having all the changes of college football at one point, it was right there.
“Significant era in college football. I was part of that. Thought we weathered it pretty well. Extremely proud of what we did and what we accomplished.”
Dunn’s daughters graduated from Stillwater High School, then became OSU grads. His youngest daughter is studying at OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa.
“It’ll be weird to leave here,” Dunn said. “Lot of memories, lot of great times.”
Dunn’s 14 seasons in Stillwater are believed to be the second-longest stint ever by an OSU assistant football coach, trailing only Jack Baker’s 24 years, 1939-62.
Dunn, 55, would like to keep coaching. The coaching market was tight this offseason, which means it probably will loosen next offseason. He’s thinking college or the National Football League.
Thinking he’d like to take a crack at a national championship or a Super Bowl.
“I’d like to get to a point where you hit the top,” Dunn said.
He came close a couple of times in Stillwater, then the Cowboys collapsed, and Dunn isn’t sure what happened, even though others think they do.
