Mike Gundy shares unconventional process that led him to new defensive coordinator

Despite hiring Mike Yurcich away from fellow PSAC member Shippensburg prior to the 2013 season as his new offensive coordinator following an previous unconventional search, Mike Gundy readily admits he had never heard of Gannon University prior to hiring new defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo.

In an interview with reporters yesterday as spring practice ramps up in Stillwater, Gundy pulled back the curtain on his unconventional process that led him to Nardo as the right man to take over the Cowboys defense.

"I started watching video from all across the country, on what I thought we needed, and there is only this many of them," Gundy shared, holding his pointer and thumb about a half-inch apart to show the select pool he started out working with that understood the system he was looking for.

While small, that pool included some high school coaches that Gundy felt were qualified to make the jump to the FBS level.

"I went out an interviewed all of them, but you can count them on one hand. I went everywhere, and I looked everywhere. I looked in high school. I wouldn't have had a problem hiring a high school guy. There were a couple of good guys that were high school coaches that are qualified for this job."

"Once I found Bryan, and he was not the first person I interviewed - he was down the line," Gundy shared. "I planned on grabbing him for a couple hours, I wasn't sure, I thought it would just be an informative interview, but it ended up being six-and-a-half hours long."

"Afterwards I just knew, this is the guy. Doesn't make a difference where he came from. He's the best guy."

"So then I did my research, calling all the guys he's worked for, and he either paid everyone off or whatever, but no one had anything bad to say about the guy as a person or as a football coach.

Nardo takes the reigns of a defense that allowed nearly 29 points per game under first-year defensive coordinator Derek Mason, but is just two years removed from a historic defensive seasons under now Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles where the Cowboys defense had a top-10 scoring defense in college football (18.1 ppg).

Hear Gundy's full thoughts in the clip.