Mike Gundy Responds to Threat against Media regarding McCleskey Situation

Mike Gundy issued an ultimatum to the media earlier this week: Don’t ask questions to players made available to them in a post-practice media scrum about Jalen McCleskey’s decision to redshirt and transfer, else there will be no more post-practice media scrums with players.

He addressed that decision — and the blowback he received because of it — on Saturday after Oklahoma State defeated Kansas 48-28.

Here’s the full transcript from the interaction via The Oklahoman‘s Scott Wright (and video below shows the interaction from KFOR’s Nate Feken).

Question: Can you talk us through the decision to pass that down to us on Tuesday?

Gundy: I gave you guys all the information you needed, and I didn’t feel comfortable with you guys talking to the players, based on, that’s not something they should have to comment on. That’s a decision I make, and that’s their buddy, so I just wasn’t comfortable with it. You guys could’ve asked, if you wanted to. I didn’t keep you from asking.

Question: Well, the word was if we did —

Gundy: Well, I know, but I’m not that powerful. You still could’ve asked. But anyway, I didn’t feel comfortable with those guys. I just didn’t want to put them on the spot. It’s almost like being in school, and you have a kid get in trouble, and then they ask the other kid what he did, and then if he rats him out, then he’s a snitch to his buddies, and if he doesn’t rat him out, the teacher gets mad at him.

Question: If you had to do it over again, would you get them together and say, “Look, they’re gonna ask you about it. Let’s have a message that’s on the same page, no comment, talk about guys who are here, move forward”?

Gundy: What I’d really like to do is talk about the football game, and get off the stuff that really doesn’t matter.

Question: It affected the reporters who were there trying to do their job. It mattered Tuesday, and this is our first chance to ask you about it, so that’s why we’re asking.

Gundy: Again, you could’ve asked the question.

Question: I don’t know if that’s the impression they got.

Gundy: OK. There’s freedom of press still going on in the country. You can ask any question you want.

Question: We were told we could ask the question, but if we did, then we wouldn’t be able to talk to players for —

Gundy: Are we really gonna talk about this? We’re still having a good time. Can’t we just beat Kansas? Let’s get off of the stuff that drives this country and is taking it in the ground, which is garbage. Let’s talk about football. We don’t want to chase ambulances, man, let’s have some fun.

There are … probably better ways to handle that. But for now, consider the situation defused.

Here’s the video.

Here's Mike Gundy's full comments on the controversy surrounding him not wanting the media to ask his players about Jalen McCleskey's transfer from the program. #OKState pic.twitter.com/gfhdhkvS5L

— Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) September 30, 2018