In The Athletic’s latest ranking of the five current FBS head coaching vacancies, Oklahoma State landed at No. 3 — behind Arkansas and UCLA, but ahead of Virginia Tech and Stanford. The list, which evaluates each job based on resources, potential, roster situation, and path to success, offers a fair surface-level assessment. But for those familiar with the Cowboys' program, there’s a case to be made that Oklahoma State is being slightly undervalued.
Yes, things fell apart quickly under Mike Gundy, but this isn’t a bottomed-out rebuild. This is still a top-tier job in a restructured Big 12, with a recent track record of competing for championships, a clear recruiting pipeline, and the kind of stability most programs envy.