Oklahoma football assistant coach Cale Gundy resigns after uttering ‘racially charged’ word
Oklahoma football assistant coach Cale Gundy resigns after uttering ‘racially charged’ word
Highlights:
- Oklahoma assistant Cale Gundy resigned for reading aloud ‘shameful’ language in front of the players.
- He said he used the offending word during a recent film session with players from one of his players’ i-pad.
- Gundy said he had no intention to say the word maliciously or even intentionally.
- He said he was just reading a word aloud off a distracted player’s iPad.
- Head coach Brent Venables claimed that he repeatedly read the ‘racially charged’ term.
- In a clarifying statement, Venables stated Gundy ‘knows what he did was wrong’.
- Gundy is the sibling of longtime Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy.
University of Oklahoma’s assistant head football coach is Cale Gundy. Cale Gundy stepped down and resigned after saying a ‘racially charged’ term repeatedly to his players during a film session. Gundy tried to explain that he said the offending term inadvertently. He uttered it while reading it aloud off a player’s iPad.
“Coach Gundy resigned from the program because he knows what he did was wrong,” Venables said in his second statement on Gundy’s exit. “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. Coach Gundy did the right thing in resigning.”
The incident came in occurrence during a recent film session when the assistant coach found one player looking at his iPad, Cale Gundy said in his statement. He then took the player’s device from him and read a word off the screen. Gundy now accepts he ‘should never – under any circumstance – have uttered.’
Cale Gundy revealed he was ‘horrified’ upon realizing what he had uttered.
However, Venables claims that Cale said the word multiple times.
“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,” Gundy said. “I take responsibility for my mistake. I apologize.”
L’Damian Washington has been approached to replace Gundy as Sooners’ wide receivers coach on an interim basis.
Venables released an initial statement indicating that anyone connected with the program is ‘accountable’ for his or her actions.
“It is with sadness that I accept coach Gundy’s resignation,” Venables said. “He is dedicated more than half his life to Oklahoma football and has served our program and university well. We are thankful for that commitment.”
“The culture we are 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 is essential that we hold ourselves to the highest standards as we model to our players the type of men we want them to become.”
Gundy had no support from former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.
“… Coach Gundy is not, and I repeat is not a racist in any way nor has a racist bone in his body, mind, or soul,” Mixon posted in a statement posted on social media. “I grew up in the Bay area and went to school obviously in Oklahoma. I know racists and have witnessed both obvious and discreet forms of racism and have known and detested even more actual racist (sic). Coach Gundy is the farthest thing from this type of person.”