Mike Gundy Continues Against-the-Grain Thinking as Fall Camp Starts

Coaches, and by proxy the athletes they coach, are naturally creatures of habit. Ask one why he or she does something in relation to guiding his or her team and you’re likely to get some variation of “that’s how we’ve always done it.”

That line of thinking, no matter how heavily it is supported by top-tier athletes and world-class gameplanning, eventually goes extinct. It might last for 10 years or 20 or maybe even longer. But eventually it fades.

The survivors, so to speak, are the ones unafraid to reinvent themselves and the way they guide their programs. I’ve been saying that about Mike Gundy for years now. Quirky as he might be, he’s completely unafraid to reinvent what he’s doing and how he’s doing it.

That was on display again on Tuesday as 100+ college students gathered for the genesis of what could be a special season. This time, it was more subtle than shelving the pads or cutting out practices, but it was still something.

Instead of jumping into offensive schemes and route-running. Gundy took a day to get everyone introduced and taught what actually goes on at these things.

“We decided to use a practice to teach, and we did that today,” said Gundy. “I like how it went. We’ll talk as a staff in the morning and see what the coaches think. I was encouraged about the practice.”

What about the mechanics of the thing? What was it for.

Gundy explained that to the Oklahoman.

“It’s just kind of orchestrating where to go. Imagine your first day of high school, where your locker is and where your classes (are). You’re trying to find everything and when your break is and all that.”

“To eliminate screaming and yelling — ‘Get over here! Where are you at?’ — I’ve never really been a big fan of that,” Gundy said. “Today should eliminate most of that.”

As another season tilts towards fall, I’m appreciative of a head man fearful of stasis and bent on the innovative, going counter to the norm. It might seem like a small tic, but it has produced big results over the last 10 years.

And is hopefully the forerunner for another decade’s worth.