However, Gunnar chose a more oblique way to praise his dad, as reported by The Spun. Rather than mentioning him or his firing by OSU directly, Gundy’s younger son quoted a famous passage from a speech of former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Known as ‘The Man in the Arena’ passage, this segment from Roosevelt’s Citizenship in a Republic speech emphasizes the importance of action over vacuous criticism.

Also Read: Mike Gundy fired after 21 seasons: What does head coach’s exit mean for Oklahoma State?

Gunnar Gundy’s cryptic message

Taking to X on Thursday morning, Gunnar posted the whole segment on his timeline. “It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better,” the passage reads.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat,” the note concludes.

While Gunnar has not clearly said that this was a tribute to his father in the wake of his firing by OSU, it is hard to see it as anything other than a comment towards OSU, The Spun stated.

The choice of Teddy Roosevelt’s ‘The Man in the Arena’ speech is used to refer to a person who goes out and acts, rather than watching from the sidelines, ON3 reported.

Gunnar’s message suggests his belief that his father may have gotten a raw deal from those who have been critical of his performance when he was the head coach of OSU. By talking about the lack of accountability of critics, he seemingly tried to defend his father’s efforts in the face of a string of disappointments.

Also Read: Oklahoma State fires football coach Mike Gundy after 20-plus years

Mike Gundy’s history at OSU

The veteran coach started his latest stint with Oklahoma State University in 2005, remaining in the head coach position for around two decades. He holds a 170-90 overall record but struggled last season, going 3-9 with his team.

The current season also started on a sour note for his team as they were 1-2 after the first three weeks.

However, the 58-year-old leaves behind a rich legacy as he is the most successful coach in the program’s history, in terms of victories, and has a Big 12 title to boast of. He also won the Big 12 Coach of the Year Award three times, as per Oklahoma State’s website.

FAQs

Who is Gunnar Gundy?

Gunnar Gundy is the younger son of Mike Gundy, the former football coach of Oklahoma State University.

When was Mike Gundy fired?

Mike Gundy was fired by OSU on Tuesday after two losses in the first three matches of this season, following a 3-9 record last season.

What is ‘The Man in the Arena’ passage?

‘The Man in the Arena’ passage occurs in the ‘Citizenship in a Republic’ speech given by Theodore Roosevelt on April 23, 1910, at the Sorbonne, France. It is one of the most iconic speeches in American political history.