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Just as Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy remains synonymous with his infamous “I’m a man, I’m 40” rant, so too is his ever-evolving hair — most notably the mullet, which is primarily his signature look dating back 2016. But you wouldn’t know it from the EA Sports College Football 26 video game, which features real coaches for the first time in the new edition. Unfortunately, Gundy’s digital likeness features something closer to an afro than his trademark flow.
Though he trimmed it back a couple years ago, Gundy returned to Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, this week with the real thing: a mullet back in full force. Gundy laughed at the game’s expense.
“That for sure says I have a full head of hair,” Gundy said. “That’s good. And they got me all, like, muscled up. I’m not that muscled up. That’s awesome. Wait until my high school buddies see that. They’ll be lighting me up.”
Gundy ranks as the second-best coach in the Big 12 in the video game’s coaching tiers. Although Colorado’s Deion Sanders opted out of participating entirely, that didn’t stop the creators from giving his digital alter ego, “Kirk Patrick,” an A+ rating as the only coach above Gundy in the conference.
The real-life Gundy and Oklahoma State, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 campaign in which they went winless against Big 12 opponents — something the program hadn’t done in 30 years.
Now entering his 21st season, Gundy will lean on a new-look roster and a completely overhauled staff. A program built on “Cowboy Culture” and continuity welcomed more than 60 newcomers to the 2025 roster.