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Oklahoma assistant coach Cale Gundy resigns after admitting to using offensive language

“He’s dedicated more than half his life to Oklahoma football and has served our program and university well," Sooner head coach Brent Venables said.
Credit: AP
Oklahoma offensive coach Cale Gundy speaks during an NCAA college football media day, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Norman, Okla. Gundy announced his resignation Sunday, Aug. 7, after using offensive language during a film session the week prior. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

NORMAN, Okla — Oklahoma assistant head football coach Cale Gundy announced his resignation Sunday after using offensive language during a film session last week.

Gundy, who had been with the program as an assistant since 1999, made the announcement in a social media post on Sunday, and the school confirmed it with a statement shortly thereafter.

Gundy apologized in his post and explained why he resigned. He said he noticed a player was distracted while he was supposed to be taking notes, so he picked up the athlete’s iPad and read the words on the screen aloud. He acknowledged that he said a word that he “should never — under any circumstance — have uttered,” and said he was “horrified” when he realized what he had done.

“What I said was not malicious; it wasn’t even intentional,” Gundy said. “Still, I am mature enough to know that the word I said was shameful and hurtful, no matter what my intentions.”

Here's the full statement Gundy posted to his Twitter account:

“Coach Gundy resigned from the program because he knows what he did was wrong,” first-year Sooners coach Brent Venables said in the statement. “He chose to read aloud to his players, not once but multiple times, a racially charged word that is objectionable to everyone, and does not reflect the attitude and values of our university or our football program. This is not acceptable. Period.”

Gundy apologized in his post and explained his resignation. He said he noticed a player was distracted while he was supposed to be taking notes, so he picked up the athlete’s iPad and read aloud the words on the screen. He acknowledged that he said a word that he “should never — under any circumstance — have uttered,” and said he was “horrified” when he realized what he had done.

“It’s with sadness that I accept coach Gundy’s resignation,” Venables said. “He’s dedicated more than half his life to Oklahoma football and has served our program and university well. We’re thankful for that commitment.”

Venables said it tough to see Gundy to leave, but worse for the players to hear that word from one of their coaches.

“As painful as it has been dealing with coach Gundy resigning from the program, it doesn’t touch the experience of pain felt by a room full of young men I am charged to protect, lead and love,” Venables said.

Former Sooners player Joe Mixon, who now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, was among those who defended Gundy on Twitter.

Gundy — whose brother is Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy — was on staff for all 14 of the Sooners’ Big 12 titles and the national championship season in 2000. He spent the last seven seasons coaching wide receivers after spending the previous 16 seasons coaching running backs.

Venables said L’Damian Washington, who had been an offensive analyst, will coach receivers on an interim basis.

Read the full statement from Brent Venables:

Gundy was on staff for all 14 of the Sooners’ Big 12 titles and the national championship season in 2000. He spent the last seven seasons coaching wide receivers after spending the previous 16 seasons coaching running backs. He was one of the holdovers when Venables took over as head coach in December 2021.

Venables said L’Damian Washington, who had been an offensive analyst, will coach receivers on an interim basis.

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