Holt Report: Digging into the Cowboy football coaching staff

Jul 31, 2023 In becoming Oklahoma State’s all-time winningest head football coach, Mike Gundy encountered numerous responsibilities. He still does. Gundy enters his 19th season at the Cowboy helm when preseason practices begin Wednesday.

He has compiled a 156-75-0 overall record and a 95-61 Big 12 Conference record. Under Gundy, O-State won one Big 12 title (2011), has an 11-6 bowl game record and endured only one losing season – his first season in 2005. One critical responsibility was assembling a coaching staff.

Gundy has hired talented offensive coordinators, solid defensive coordinators and even young, unknown coaches from small colleges. For the most part, his hires played key roles in OSU’s success. One strength of OSU’s program, in my opinion, is staff retention.

Several Cowboy assistants are heavily invested in the program, and OSU’s athletic administration has invested in the assistant coaches by offering competitive salaries. The current staff is a collection of veteran coaches, developing coaches and another coach from a small college with a major responsibility. Kasey Dunn, OSU’s associate head coach, offensive coordinator and receivers’ coach, is in his 13th season on the Cowboy staff and his 31st year coaching overall.

Dunn became wide receiver coach in 2011, was named associate head coach in 2019 and offensive coordinator in 2020. Joe Bob Clements, co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach, enters his 11th season with OSU and his 25th year coaching. From 2013 to 2021 he coached defensive linemen before coaching linebackers in 2022.

Tim McDuffie, defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach, is entering his 11th year as a Cowboy assistant and his 24th year overall in coaching. Dan Hammerschmidt, safeties coach, is a ninth-year Poke assistant coach and is entering his 38th year coaching overall while Jason McEndoo, tight ends and fullbacks coach, enters his ninth year on the staff. This is his 24th year in coaching.

Former Cowboy defensive standout Greg Richmond is a seventh-year defensive line for O-State and is entering his 14th season in coaching. Cowboy running backs coach John Wozniak was an offensive graduate assistant at OSU in 2004 before returning to the staff seven seasons ago. He’s entering his 25th year overall.

Charlie Dickey, the offensive line coach, came to OSU from Kansas State and is entering his fifth season on Gundy’s staff and 36th season in coaching. Former Louisiana Tech standout quarterback Tim Rattay enters his fourth season coaching quarterbacks at O-State. This is his 13th season in coaching.

The staff newcomer is Bryan Nardo who approaches his first season after being named defensive coordinator. Nardo has been a small college coach at – in order – Ohio University, Missouri S&T, Emporia State, Youngstown State and was DC last season at Division II Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Nardo’s hire is similar to Gundy’s hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich from Shippensburg State (Pennsylvania) in 2013.

Yurcich progressed at OSU and is currently offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Penn State. Another pivotal contributor to OSU’s grid success is Cowboy strength and conditioning coordinator Rob Glass, who is entering his 29th season at OSU and 38th overall. Glass worked at OSU from 1989-95 and returned to his current post in 2005.

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