Charlie Dickey Bringing Old-School Offensive Line Play to Oklahoma State

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cowboys are on their third offensive line coach since 2016, but early returns on Charlie Dickey are quite positive.

Dickey comes to Stillwater from Kansas State, where he started in 2009. Those K-State teams didn’t always conform to the typical Big 12 offensive style of spreading the field and working quickly. Those Wildcats’ squads often relied more on physicality than pure speed.

“I tried to hire Charlie a few times before, got close,” Gundy said Monday. “He had great loyalty to Coach (Bill) Snyder at Kansas State for all the right reasons. The timing worked out perfect for us and for Charlie.

“I’ve said this, when (Josh Henson) left I picked the phone up and about five minutes later and asked Charlie, and he said he would take the job. We didn’t have any other discussions, and he showed up. It’s been great for Coach and great for Oklahoma State.”

Dickey’s old-school style fits in well with his redshirt senior center Johnny Wilson, who according to Gundy, Wilson “likes to play football, and he likes heavy-metal music.” Wilson has played in 28 games thus far in his OSU career. He is on his third O-line coach, but Dickey might be Wilson’s best fit.

“I love the old-school play,” Wilson said. “That’s how I was raised. My dad was West Texas football back in the day. That’s old-school football, man. That’s how I was raised, and that’s how Coach Dickey wants it done. And that’s how I’ll do it. It’s awesome.”

After the open spring practice, Wilson said he wanted to get nastier with his inside zone blocking over the summer. Through player-led workouts, he said he’s getting there, even if it is going against his defensive linemen teammates.

“It worked,” Wilson said. “Me and (Brendon) Evers get into it every once in a while in the player-led practices. I think that I’ve accomplished almost what I want. I’m almost there.”