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Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Mike Gundy: No animosity over Oklahoma State AD Mike Holder's recruiting comments

College Football, Oklahoma State Cowboys

FRISCO, Texas -- One month ago after his athletic director said Oklahoma State needed to recruit better, coach Mike Gundy defused the perception of discord around the Cowboys' athletic department.

"I knew what he was trying to say," Gundy said Tuesday of Mike Holder. "He just didn't do a good job of getting the information out there. That's the same thing I told him. He was very apologetic. I said, 'Coach, I know exactly what you were trying to accomplish. You don't have to worry about me.'

"It's difficult to say the right thing all the time."

Appearing on the Pistols Firing podcast in June, Holder said he wanted Gundy to aim higher in recruiting after finishing with a string of classes ranked outside the top 25, despite three consecutive 10-win seasons.

"He's really matured into a difference-maker as a coach," Holder said on the podcast of Gundy. "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."

After his comments caused a stir, Holder apologized in an interview with the Tulsa World. But not before Gundy posted an emoji-laden tweet:

During his Big 12 media days news conference, Gundy initially declined to comment in his first public appearance since the podcast. But later, Gundy opened up and said he'd spoken with Holder and they'd already worked through the issue.

"It never concerned me for a second. Because I know him, I've known him a long time. I know exactly what he thinks. I know exactly what he expects," said Gundy, who added he realized immediately that Holder's comments would become a hot topic on radio and TV. "Soon as I heard it I knew exactly what was going to happen. He just doesn't have a way of saying things that fit in the society today where people understand. He's just very, for a lack of a better term, old-school in his approach."

Gundy said that he was also just having fun on Twitter, though he did admit the two emojis were in response to Holder's comments.

"I try to get hits on social media," Gundy said. "I'm not worried about what he did. I'm trying to get hits. He lobbed me a pitch for a great Twitter hit."

Holder has been Oklahoma State's athletic director since 2005, the same year Gundy took over as head coach.

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