On November 25, 2025, Oklahoma State University stunned the college football world by naming Eric Morris, 39, as its 25th head football coach—replacing the fired Mike Gundy after nearly two decades. The move comes after a disastrous 1–10 season that left the Cowboys as one of only two Power Four programs without a single FBS win in 2025. Morris, currently leading the University of North Texas Mean Green to a historic 10–1 regular season, won’t arrive in Stillwater, Oklahoma until January 1, 2026. But the clock is already ticking. The program he inherits is broken—not just in wins, but in culture, recruiting, and modern football infrastructure.
A Program in Freefall
Mike Gundy’s legacy as Oklahoma State’s longest-tenured coach—166 wins over 20 seasons—now feels like a distant memory. His final season collapsed under the weight of conference realignment, poor player retention, and a failure to adapt to the new realities of college football. The Cowboys didn’t just lose games; they lost relevance. In the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) marketplace, they ranked near the bottom of the Big 12. In the transfer portal, they were outmaneuvered by every rival. By October, the administration had enough. Gundy was fired. The 2025 season ended with zero victories against FBS opponents. The same program that once produced Heisman finalists and NFL stars now struggled to field a competitive roster.
Why Eric Morris? The Air Raid Heir
Chad Weiberg, Oklahoma State University’s athletic director, didn’t just pick a coach—he picked a philosophy. Morris, a protégé of Mike Leach and former offensive coordinator at Texas Tech University and Washington State University, has spent his career mastering the Air Raid. His offense isn’t just spread—it’s explosive. At University of North Texas, he turned a program that had never won more than nine games in a season into a 10–1 powerhouse in 2025. He’s coached Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, and Cam Ward—all of whom thrived under his system. That’s not coincidence. It’s blueprint.
"Today begins the next era of Oklahoma State Football," Weiberg said in his official statement. "Coach Morris has proven his ability to build and lead winning football programs. He has consistently identified, recruited, and developed some of the best players in college football."
But the real signal came in what he didn’t say. Weiberg didn’t mention tradition. He didn’t mention history. He didn’t mention loyalty. He mentioned NIL. He mentioned the transfer portal. Those are the two wounds that killed Gundy’s tenure. And Morris, who’s built winning teams with minimal resources at University of the Incarnate Word and North Texas, is exactly the guy who can fix them.
The Transition: Coaching Two Teams at Once
Here’s the twist: Morris won’t be in Stillwater until January. He’ll finish the 2025 season with North Texas, coaching them in the American Athletic Conference championship gameAlamodome in San Antonio on December 6—and potentially into the College Football Playoff if the Mean Green win. That’s unprecedented. A head coach preparing to lead two teams in the same season, one in the Power Four, the other in the Group of Five. The NCAA doesn’t have rules against it. But it’s a logistical nightmare. How does he scout Oklahoma State’s next opponent while preparing North Texas for a conference title? How does he evaluate recruits in Stillwater while watching film in Denton?
Still, the timing works. North Texas’s season ends in mid-December. Morris will fly to Stillwater the next week. His family—wife Maggie and sons Jack and George—will follow. He’ll have three weeks to assemble a staff, lock in transfers, and start selling the vision to a demoralized roster. The window is narrow. The stakes? Everything.
The Bigger Picture: Power Four vs. The New Reality
Oklahoma State isn’t just rebuilding. It’s redefining. The Big 12 is gone. The Power Four is here. And in this new world, success isn’t about tradition—it’s about speed. NIL dollars. Portal transfers. Recruiting with data, not just reputation. Morris has done it all with less. At Incarnate Word, he turned a FCS school into a Group of Five contender. At North Texas, he made a program with no major recruiting pipeline into a top-25 team. That’s the kind of innovation Oklahoma State needs.
Meanwhile, rivals like Texas, Oklahoma, and even TCU are spending millions on NIL collectives and portal specialists. Oklahoma State? They were last. Now, they’re betting on a coach who knows how to win without a billion-dollar budget. That’s not desperation. That’s strategy.
What Comes Next?
By mid-January, Morris will begin his first staff meetings in Stillwater. He’ll likely bring at least two assistants from North Texas—his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He’ll target portal targets who fit his system: dual-threat QBs, slot receivers, fast edge rushers. He’ll need to land a top-tier QB transfer immediately—someone who can step in and throw 40 times a game. And he’ll have to convince a handful of players who were ready to leave to stay.
The 2026 season opener against University of Texas in Arlington won’t be a showcase. It’ll be a survival test. But if Morris can win even six games next year, he’ll be hailed as a savior. If he wins eight? He’ll be the face of Oklahoma State’s new era.
Behind the Numbers: Morris’s Coaching Resume
- 2023–2025: Head coach, University of North Texas — 21–15 overall, 10–1 in 2025 (best in school history)
- 2020–2022: Head coach, University of the Incarnate Word — 24–18 overall
- 2018–2019: Offensive coordinator, Texas Tech University — helped develop Patrick Mahomes
- 2012–2017: Offensive coordinator, Washington State University — worked under Mike Leach
- 2004–2007: Wide receiver, Texas Tech University — played under Mike Leach
FAQ
Why did Oklahoma State fire Mike Gundy after 20 years?
Despite a 166–118 career record, Gundy’s final season—1–10 in 2025—revealed deep systemic failures. The program lagged in NIL revenue generation and transfer portal recruiting, falling behind rivals like TCU and Texas. Player retention collapsed, and the offense became predictable. Athletic Director Chad Weiberg cited these issues as the primary reasons for dismissal, signaling a shift from loyalty to performance.
What makes Eric Morris different from other coaching candidates?
Morris isn’t just an Air Raid disciple—he’s a builder. He’s turned two low-resource programs (Incarnate Word and North Texas) into top Group of Five contenders by mastering NIL recruitment and portal acquisitions. Unlike traditional hires, he doesn’t rely on big-name recruits. He finds overlooked talent and maximizes it. That’s exactly what Oklahoma State needs.
Will Morris stay at Oklahoma State long-term?
It’s unlikely he’ll leave unless a Power Five job opens. At 39, he’s young enough to be a future national candidate, but Oklahoma State offers him a platform few coaches get: full control over rebuilding a program from the ground up. With the Big 12 dissolved and the Power Four emerging, this could be his chance to become a long-term architect.
How will Morris handle coaching North Texas and preparing for Oklahoma State at the same time?
He’ll delegate heavily. His staff at North Texas will handle day-to-day operations while he focuses on scouting Oklahoma State’s roster, identifying transfer targets, and planning staff hires. He’ll fly between Denton and Stillwater weekly. It’s exhausting, but not impossible—many assistants do this during hiring cycles. The real test is whether he can transition mentally from winning a conference title to fixing a broken program.
What’s the biggest risk in hiring Eric Morris?
The risk is that his Air Raid system, which thrived with mobile QBs and elite receivers at North Texas, won’t translate to a roster depleted by transfers and poor recruiting. Oklahoma State’s offensive line is weak. Their defensive talent is thin. If Morris can’t adapt his system to the talent he has, he could face another 1–10 season. The system is proven—but the talent pool isn’t.
When will we know if Morris’s hiring was a success?
By the end of the 2026 season. If Oklahoma State wins at least six games, improves in NIL rankings, and lands three or more impactful transfer portal players, it’s a win. If they’re competitive in the Big 12’s new structure and show a clear offensive identity, Morris will be hailed as the man who saved the program. Anything less, and the search will begin again.