Notebook: Meacham Updates Hejny’s Status, Gundy Addressing the Team, Staff’s Mindset Moving Forward

STILLWATER — Doug Meacham will be the first guy not named Mike Gundy to coach the Cowboys in a football game in more than 20 years.

Meacham was named Oklahoma State’s interim coach after the university fired Gundy on Tuesday. Meacham and the Cowboys are set to play Baylor at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

In his first full day in his new role, Meacham met with reporters after OSU’s Wednesday practice. He began his media scrum by thanking Gundy and pointing out that Gundy has hired him twice.

Here are three other things Meacham discussed.

Hejny Will ‘Probably Be Back Here in the Next Few Weeks’

Thus far, the peak of OSU’s season might’ve been this moment right here (as captured by PFB photographer Devin Wilber):

Not long after Hauss Hejny rolled to his left, flipped his hips and completed a 34-yard pass Terrill Davis, Hejny broke a bone in his foot, halting his time as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback after just three drives.

Not long after Hejny’s injury, there was discussion that he could come back this season, but with all that is going on in Stillwater, it wasn’t too out of the question to wonder what Hejny would do. By the sounds of the interim coach, Hejny is still pushing for a return this season.

“Hauss, he’ll probably be back here in the next few weeks. He’ll be on his feet next week, I believe, walking and doing some things and trying to get back. He wants to play. We’re looking forward to maybe adding him in the next few weeks.”

Gundy Addressed the Team Tuesday

Gundy met with the team during their Tuesday practice to give his parting words.

According to Kenyatta Wright, OSU’s director of football business, Gundy told the Pokes to look the adversity in the eye and stay the course.

Meacham added a little bit to that on Wednesday.

“I think in 21 years that you deserve the opportunity to do that,” Meacham said. “He got a chance to do it and he and his wife came out, heartfelt, and I’m glad he had the opportunity to do that.”

Coaches ‘Going to Fight’

This is a rough situation for the OSU staff, as many just got to Stillwater (or got back to Stillwater) this season.

With Gundy’s dismissal, that could mean (perhaps likely means) that those guys will be looking for another job and have to move again at the end of the year.

But there is still a task at hand, so while coming to grips with that reality, the staff is still having to prepare a group of guys to play on Saturday.

“Just like anybody, you have an option,” Meacham said. “You can dig in and bear down and fight for it and work, or you can complain and just let it roll you over. We are not taking that approach. We’re going to fight. We are going to show up here Saturday and this team is going to fight and these coaches are going to fight.”