After 10 years as coach, Mike Gundy enters 2015 with new energy

Published Sep. 2, 2015 11:15 a.m. ET

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Mike Gundy heads into his 11th season as coach at Oklahoma State Thursday night when the Cowboys face Central Michigan.

It's the longest coaching tenure, tied with Jim Lookabaugh and Pat Jones in school history.

And Gundy enters the season with a renewed boost of energy, thanks to a run at the end of the 2014 season where he found a quarterback, beat Oklahoma and then won a bowl game.

“We've come a long way,” Gundy said to The Oklahoman, “not only as a football team, as a coaching staff, an organization, as a university and the relationship with Mr. Pickens.

“I know I feel a lot better.”

The reason for the change in attitude? Well, Mason Rudolph played just three games last season at quarterback but he's the easily the No. 1 choice this year. Couple that with the fact OSU got a late-season win at Oklahoma that qualified the Cowboys for a bowl game.

“Try to win games and have some fun,” Gundy said to The Oklahoman. “There's been times when I jog, and I'm miserable, and I try to think of things to overcome the time. And I start adding the years up (at OSU). Then I get delirious and can't add that high.

“It's a long time.”

Check out more about Gundy and his outlook heading into season 11 here.

(H/T The Oklahoman)