Oklahoma Sooners football is experiencing something confusing.
Cale Gundy, the assistant coach of the Sooners’ program, quit unexpectedly Monday. Gundy, who was involved with coaching for almost three decades and was also a star quarterback for Crimson and Cream and one of the most accomplished Sooners quarterbacks.
He did not resign because of sex allegations, embezzlement or illegal recruitment. No, he left the program because he did the unthinkable: he said an unspecified “shameful and hurtful” unknown word during a film session.
Yes. A coach with the best legacy at any single program in the country was forced to resign because he spoke an offensive term.
Here’s where it gets laughable and confusing. Gundy claims that one of the players seemed to not be paying enough attention during last Friday’s film session. Gundy was able to read the iPad writings of this player and made an example. What was on the screen contained this “offensive” word in question, which has not been specified in any of the reports on the incident.
Here’s Gundy’s official statement regarding what happened:
Thank you for being a Sooner Nation. pic.twitter.com/BYBOjObGna
— Cale Gundy (@OU_CoachGundy) August 8, 2022
You will notice that the words are not his, he just reread them loud.
However, Sooners head coach Brent Venables said in a statement regarding Gundy’s resignation that his assistant repeated the word several times.
Tuesday statement by Brent Venables, head football coach: pic.twitter.com/grSwj3YlPC
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 8, 2022
It is obvious that shaming one person and calling him out for not being attentive might not be the best move. Nor would it make sense to read what this word meant out loud.
To let go of someone who for 30 years helped to shape one of the best college football teams in America for a moment of weakness would be absurd. Anyone in the room should forgive this man and offer him another chance.
But if that’s not the way you will play this game, then the player who originally wrote the offensive word should be cut from the team immediately as well — which, as of right now, he isn’t.
Whatever Venables thinks, most players on the Sooners didn’t want Gundy to resign, according to several reports.
A few of the current players were able to talk about it earlier this day. It seemed like everyone had discussed it, and that the majority of them wanted Cale Gundy staying. But ultimately…Cale did what he thought was best for the program.
A sad night. Damn it.
— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) August 8, 2022
Venables, and other high-ranking officials in the program lost an amazing asset. They also may not have had the support of their locker room which could have hampered the team’s unity this season.
It’s all because of a distasteful word.
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