Cale Gundy, a coach and mainstay of the Oklahoma Sooners college football program, resigned on Sunday after admitting to reading aloud a word in front of the team’s players that he described as “shameful and hurtful.”
Gundy’s 24-year association with the Sooners dates back to 1990, when he played three seasons as the team’s quarterback, throwing more than 6,000 yards and achieving 35 touchdowns.
Having graduated in 1993, Gundy went on to serve as a graduate assistant in 1994, before moving on to coach quarterbacks and running backs at Alabama-Birmingham.
He eventually returned to his alma mater’s football program as part of the then-coach Bob Stoops’ staff in 1999. During the course of over two decades on the sidelines with Oklahoma, the team captured 14 Big 12 titles and the 2000 national championship.
Gundy, 50, announced his resignation in a lengthy statement shared to Twitter, in which he acknowledged saying a word he “should never – under any circumstance – have uttered.”
According to the former wide receiver coach, he read the word off the screen of a “distracted” player’s iPad during a film session last week. “I noticed a player was distracted and picked up his iPad and read aloud the words that were written on the screen,” Gundy’s statement explained.
“The words displayed had nothing to do with football. One particular word that I should never — under any circumstance — have uttered was displayed on that screen. In the moment, I did not even realize what I was reading and, as soon as I did, I was horrified.”
Gundy continued: “I want to be very clear: the words I read aloud from that screen were not my words. What I said was not malicious; it wasn’t even intentional. Still, I am mature enough to know that the word I said was shameful and hurtful, no matter my intentions.
“The unfortunate reality is that someone in my position can cause harm without ever meaning to do so. In that circumstance, a man of character accepts accountability. I take responsibility for my mistake. I apologize.”
Gundy acknowledged he had devoted nearly all of his “adult life” to Oklahoma football, noting that both his wife and children graduated from Oklahoma University. However, he said this was a “critical moment” for Oklahoma football and his comment had proven an unwanted distraction.
“The team – its coaches, players, administration and fans – do not deserve to be distracted by off-the-field matters while working to continue the tradition of excellence that makes me so proud to be a Sooner,” he wrote.
Gundy felt he owed it to the “Sooner Nation” to be transparent about why he was stepping down after so long in his post. “Coaching this football team truly has been my life’s passion,” he concluded. “But I leave confident that the team will continue to prosper and I leave with tremendous love for the University of Oklahoma and its athletics department.”
A star athlete at Oklahoma University who set a single-season record for 1,916 passing yards in 1992, only to then smash that number by racking up 2,311 yards over the following season, Gundy was most recently enlisted by Brent Venables to coach wide receivers.
In a statement accepting Gundy’s resignation, Venables paid tribute to his departing colleague.
“He’s dedicated more than half of his life to Oklahoma football and has served our program and university well,” he said. “We’re thankful for that commitment. We also acknowledge that in stepping aside he’s placed the program and the welfare of our student-athletes first. In coaching and in life, we’re all accountable for our actions and the resulting outcomes.”
“The culture we’re building in our program is based on mutual respect. Our staff is here to develop successful student-athletes, but also young men of character. As the leader of this program, it’s essential that we hold ourselves to the highest standards as we model to our players the type of men we want them to become.”
L’Damian Washington, who was previously an offensive analyst for the Sooners, has been appointed the interim wide receivers coach.
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