Chasing Gundy: Eric Morris Praises Former Oklahoma State Head Coach at Big 12 Media Days

FRISCO, Texas — Eric Morris didn’t shy away from the spotlight at Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday morning.

It’s common for many coaches, especially first-year head coaches, to sometimes shorten the Q&A portion with long-winded opening statements, but Morris kept his brief, thanking OSU leadership and recognizing the “genuine, hard-working” people living in Stillwater.

Then, Morris intentionally chose to praise former Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy with his final answer.

​”My predecessor had an amazing career in Mike Gundy,” Morris said. “I mean all the respect in the world to how much success that he had there. I mean, being somewhere 21 years, and then obviously he was such a great player there.”

​Although the Gundy era ended on a sour note with dismal results on the field, there were clear highs, which Morris alluded to earlier, during his time on the Big 12’s main stage.

​“I’ve been in the Big 12 as a player and a coach, and Oklahoma State was so good in my memories,” Morris said. “I remember going to Boone Pickens, how rowdy it was, the paddles slapping against the wall, the student section on fire. … During those times, there were a bunch of 8-win teams, 9-win teams, 10-win teams. … So I didn’t have any of these bad memories.”

​Morris played receiver at Texas Tech from 2005-08 and coached for the Red Raiders in various roles from 2013-17. Of note, Oklahoma State put together four 10-win seasons in five years during Morris’ coaching tenure at Texas Tech.

​A few Gundy highlights:

• 170 wins at OSU
• One of 10 coaches in college football history with 18 consecutive winning seasons
• Top three all-time in Big 12 wins
• 11 wins over top 10 teams
• 6 NFL first rounders

Morris made it clear he wants to leave a similar mark on the program before his time in Stillwater ends. A few of those will require a lengthy commitment regardless of how successful the team is this fall, but Morris and company could make some serious progress on the last two lists with a strong showing this season.

​“Obviously, you know, as a competitor, you’re always chasing that,” Morris said, praising Gundy’s success. “And the bar is set pretty high.”