OSU's Gundy to Take $1M Pay Cut for Another Year

Oklahoma State University head football coach Mike Gundy's salary will remain $4.375 million for a second straight year — or $1 million less than what the school paid Gundy in 2019.

A year ago this week, Gundy was embroiled in a controversy that involved a photo showing the coach wearing a One America News T-shirt. He took a voluntary $1 million pay cut for the 2020 season, and appears to be behind the reduction ahead of this season, according to reporting by Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World.

Related: OSU's Gundy Issues Apology for T-Shirt Incident

"Another year of a million-dollar reduction has to have been Gundy’s idea. If he were to stomp his foot and highlight the compensation terms of his contract, he likely would get his $5.375 million," Haisten wrote. "Instead, with another self-absorbed cut, the head coach seems to have considered the state of the athletic department’s finances."

Last year’s pandemic-induced capacity limits of 25 percent at 55,509-seat Boone Pickens Stadium resulted in a severe decline in OSU football revenue.

OSU’s current season-ticket sales total is ahead of the total on this date in 2019, and the school is targeting 50,000 — a total reached only twice before, in 2013 and again in 2017, when a record 50,732 season tickets were sold.

For the time being, the 2021 salaries for Gundy's assistants are identical to the compensation figures of 2020. Still, eight of 10 OSU assistants make more money than Bobby Petrino, the head coach of the Cowboys' first 2021 opponent Missouri State.

Topping that list are offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, each of whom makes $800,000, according to the Tulsa World.