Ask any coaching staff in the country if they're keeping track where their targets stand in the Rivals, 247, or ESPN recruiting rankings and you're bound to get a resounding "No" across the board.
However, Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder sees things a bit differently, as is evident from his comments on the Pistols Firing podcast earlier this week. Holder didn't hold back when he said that he'd like to see better results from Gundy and his staff on the recruiting trail.
Here's a run down of Holder's comments:
"You've got to credit Mike Gundy. He's really matured into a difference-maker as a coach. I would approach recruiting a little differently than he does."
"I'd want to finish higher in those recruiting rankings than we consistently do. I think that ultimately puts a ceiling on what you're able to achieve."
"We do a great job of overcoming that with Rob Glass down in the weight room, and I think our coaches do a great job of disciplining and motivating and channeling what talent we have in the right direction. I just think we would be better served with a few more James Washington’s coming in the front door. You know, he came in as a two-star or three-star and left a five-star. We need to take some of those five-stars and turn them into seven-stars, which I think Rob Glass could do, and I think Mike Gundy could as well."
“I’m patting them on the back at the same time I’m challenging them to get out there and do a little bit more recruiting. Recruiting’s the most important thing we do, and you’re only as good as your athletes.”
The Oklahoma State program has pumped a lot of money into their facilities over the past decade to make it one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in college football. Their recruiting classes may not be ranked in the top 25 year in and year out, but Gundy and his staff have taken the talent they've brought in and develop them as well as anyone in the country, as is evidenced by their four ten-win seasons in the past five years, and numerous draft picks that came in as two or three-star athletes and left as NFL Draft picks, like wide receiver James Washington.
If you're wondering what Gundy has to say about the whole thing...