Gundy Reportedly Could be Offered Over $8M, Flight Scheduled from Knoxville to Stillwater

Update (3:10 p.m.): A previous version of this post said “Gundy reportedly offered over $8M” which was probably a poor choice of words considering what was reported that Tennessee could be willing to offer that, not that they did. Sorry for the confusion and apologize that we didn’t parse that better.

Oh baby, don’t you love the offseason? Tennessee and Mike Gundy are meeting on Tuesday morning in Dallas (I don’t know why I’m not driving around trying to figure out where they are). According to Robert Allen, Tennessee could throw over $8 million on the table.

From @RAllenGoPokes on @TriplePlayRadio. Tennessee willing to double Gundy salary.#Okstate currently pays him 4.2

8.4 would make him 3rd highest paid coach in CFB behind Saban 11 & Swinney 8.5

— Colby Daniels (@Colby_Daniels) November 28, 2017

That sounds like a preposterous amount, and it is. It would make Gundy the third-highest paid coach in the country behind Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney. Ahead of Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer.

I normally wouldn’t believe that number, but here’s the problem: Tennessee is desperate. Like “we just got shamed by an internet mob and possibly turned down by Duke’s football coach” desperate. And so Gundy (or anyone) has to listen.

If I had to bet my life on it, I would still say Gundy ends up in Stillwater, but $8.4 million is $8.4 million. Also, there is another thing.

That is a private plane scheduled to depart Knoxville at 12:51 CST for Stillwater, USA. Its owner? The University of Tennessee. It’s true that Gundy is currently in Dallas with Tennessee representatives, or its true according to Robert Allen, so this is a little bit confusing. Is it scheduled “just in case”? Was the Dallas meeting a misdirection? Is there a hostage situation?

Another update: The plane above appears to be inactive, which makes zero sense (of course, none of this makes much sense). 

So about that plane that FlightAware lists as being scheduled to fly from Knoxville to Stillwater …..
Looks like that plane left Tennessee's fleet in 2008, according to this.https://t.co/FGh53WiU64

— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) November 28, 2017

One final thing to note: Gundy’s buyout is only $3 million if he leaves for another job. Maybe they’re gassing up the plane to hand-deliver the check to Mike Holder.

We will keep you updated on this situation throughout the rest of the day. Unless Gundy leaves, of course, in which case we’ll start drinking bourbon and get back to you next Monday.