OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg’s Job Status Still Reportedly in Question

Ahh, a bye week after three straight wins from the Cowboys.

You’d think this would be a time where, after two years of woeful football, Oklahoma State could kick its feet up and sit in the successes it has longed for.

But apparently not.

Berry Tramel released a column Tuesday night, reporting that OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg’s job status is still very much under a microscope, whether that be because of the fundraising piece of the modern landscape of college athletics, the handling of Mike Gundy’s dismissal, a general power struggle or some combination of it all.

That’s led to an avalanche of similar reports, and all of a sudden, we’re back to wondering what the future of OSU’s athletic department looks like.

It’s the continuation of an ongoing saga that saw Weiberg working without a contract for a portion of last school year. Then when he got that contract, there was a delay in the signing.

I’m not going to pretend to know or understand all the financial conundrum’s athletic departments find themselves in these days, but it’s hard to argue against Weiberg’s hiring streak at this point.

The latest example is new football coach Eric Morris, who — after a gross opening weekend — has promptly revitalized a fanbase with a marquee win against Oregon before going on the road and leading the Cowboys to their first Big 12 win in more than 1,000 days. After two lame-duck seasons, excitement for Cowboy football was quickly re-energized.

Weiberg has also hired Jacie Hoyt, David Taylor and Steve Lutz.

Taylor instantly provided a spark to OSU wrestling that has seen the Cowboys break attendance records and quickly climb back into national prominence. Hoyt led her team to three NCAA Tournaments in four years and has her most talented team to date entering this upcoming season. You could certainly argue the jury is still out on Lutz, but he, too, looks to have his most-talented squad heading into this season.

For those reasons, it seems like an odd time for front-office drama. But, it does come after two seasons where the football program — the most-important program in just about every athletic department in terms of finances — had its two darkest years of the 21st century. And those two years came at a time where, with the introduction of paying athletes, money has never been more important.

How much of whatever fractures those two years caused can be mended in the span of three good weeks of football? I guess we’ll find out.

I leave you with this: