List of Oklahoma State Cowboys head football coaches

The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program is a college football team that represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater as part of the Big 12 Conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The team has had 22 head coaches since organized football began in 1901[1] with the nickname Aggies. The team played without a head coach until 1906. The university, then known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, was renamed Oklahoma State University in 1957 and its nickname was changed to Cowboys.[2][3] Oklahoma State was an original member of the Southwest Conference, joining in 1915. They later joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1925 and the Big Eight Conference in 1960. The Cowboys became a charter member of the Big 12 in 1996.[4] The Cowboys have played in more than 1,000 games during their 108 seasons. In those seasons, eight coaches have led the Cowboys to postseason bowl games: Jim Lookabaugh, Cliff Speegle, Jim Stanley, Jimmy Johnson, Pat Jones, Bob Simmons, Les Miles and Mike Gundy. Six coaches have won conference championships with the Cowboys: John Maulbetsch, Lynn Waldorf, Lookabaugh, Jennings B. Whitworth, Stanley, and Gundy.

A man wearing sunglasses and a gray suit with a patterned red tie looking over his right shoulder
Current head coach Mike Gundy

Gundy is the all-time leader in games coached (138), wins (94) and years coached (14), while Waldorf is the all-time leader in winning percentage (.735). Theodore Cox finished his career with a .250 winning percentage, the worst in team history. Of the 22 Cowboy coaches, Waldorf and Johnson have been inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame. Three coaches are also graduates of the university: Lookabaugh, Floyd Gass, and Gundy.[5] The first coach was F. A. McCoy, who serviced only one season, in 1905. The current coach, Mike Gundy, was hired in January 2005.[6]

A man wearing a white collared shirt with sunglasses around his neck. His head is cocked to his left looking to his right.
Les Miles, head coach of the Cowboys from 2001 to 2004

Coaches

Updated through 2023 season
#NameTermGCOWOLOTO%CWCLCTC%PWPLPTCCsAwards
1F. A. McCoy 19057142.286
2Boyd Hill1906–190715294.267
3Ed Parry19088440.500
4Paul J. Davis1909–19144528161.633
5John G. Griffith1915–191618891.472060.000
6Earl A. Pritchard1917–191815870.5331400.200
7Jim Pixlee1919–1920163103.281050.000
8John Maulbetsch1921–19287027376.429101330.4421
9Pappy Waldorf1929–19335134107.7359100.9003
10Albert Exendine1934–1935207121.3751400.200
11Ted Cox1936–1938307230.2333800.273
12Jim Lookabaugh1939–194910558416.581191010.6502103
13Jennings B. Whitworth1950–19545122272.45111910.5481
14Cliff Speegle1955–19628136423.46391910.328100
15Phil Cutchin1963–19685919382.339142610.354
16Floyd Gass1969–19713213181.42271400.3331969 Big 8 Coach of the Year
17Dave Smith197211740.6364300.571
18Jim Stanley1973–19786835312.529192120.4761101
19Jimmy Johnson1979–19835729253.535181520.543110
20Pat Jones1984–199412562603.508304430.409310
21Bob Simmons1995–20006830380.441163100.340010Big 12 Coach of the Year (1997)[7]
22Les Miles2001–2004492821.57116160.50012
23Mike Gundy2005–present24516677.678102630.61812612010 Big 12 Coach of the Year
2011 Paul (Bear) Bryant Award
2011 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year

Key

Overall games
GCGames coached
OWWins
OLLosses
OTTies[A 3]
O%Winning percentage[A 4]
Conference games
CWWins
CLLosses
CTTies
C%Winning percentage
Postseason games
PWWins
PLLosses
PTTies

Notes

References

General
  • "2021 Oklahoma State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Oklahoma State University Athletics. 2021. p. 206. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  • "Oklahoma State Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
Specific