The Loop

It's been 13 years since one of the best coaching rants in college football history

September 22, 2017

On this day 13 years ago, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and his Cowboys earned a big home victory over Big 12 conference rival Texas Tech: a 49-45 shootout that featured over 1,300 yards of combined offense. Starring in the game were names like Michael Crabtree, Danny Amendola and Dez Bryant.

But that game will be remembered less for the play on the field, and more for when Coach Gundy met with the media after the game. The 40-year-old Oklahoma State alum took offense to a column from a local journalist, who criticized Cowboy quarterback Bobby Reid after he had been benched prior to that game.

The rest is history:

The unforgettable rant went viral before going viral was even a thing, and, as Gundy has stated since, put Oklahoma State on the map. Prior to his shouts of "I'm a MAN, I'm 40!", Gundy was just 13-15 as coach of the Pokes, including that September 22, 2007 victory. Since then, he's gone 89-31, nearly taking a Brandon Weeden-led team to the National Championship in 2011 and has appearing twice in the Cotton Bowl, and once each in the Sugar and Fiesta Bowls.

This season, Gundy may have his best team to date, with the Cowboys rolling to a 3-0 start while averaging 54 points per game. The remarkable 10-year run has been unprecedented for someone who still is only known to many as the screaming guy in the orange shirt in that video. Like Gundy, others have survived well after their own version of "I'm a MAN, I'm 40!", while others didn't. Here's a tribute to some of the great coach rants in recent memory, and how their careers fared soon after...

"They are who we THOUGHT THEY WERE!" - Dennis Green

RIP to a legend of the coach rant game Dennis Green, who passed away in July of 2016. Prior to the rant, Green was an ugly 12-25 as Arizona Cardinals head coach. After his 26th loss on Monday Night Football to the Chicago Bears despite leading by 20 at halftime, Green unleashed hell directed at no one in particular. He was able to salvage a 4-6 record before being fired at the end of that 2006 season, the last he would ever coach in the NFL.

"I fahhh**ed up." - Jim Calhoun (WARNING: Language)

Look, he took Emeka Okafor and Caron Butler, they're not bad!! Ok!? But seriously, those guys were pretty damn good, so forgive Calhoun for not being too upset he missed on Ryan Gomes. We don't have to lay out Calhoun's resume before or after this hilarious, F-word-filled tirade. His 26-year tenure at Connecticut is unmatched.

"PLAYOFFS!!?!?!? - Jim Mora

Like Dennis Green, Mora's resume as an NFL coach was actually a pretty damn good one before his 2001 season in Indianapolis, which was also the final of his head coaching career. It was his fourth year with the Colts, with two playoff appearances and a respectable record of 30-28 even after a 40-21 loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers that spawned one of the best Coors Light commercials ever.

"Not 10 F-ING GAMES! - Jim Boeheim (WARNING: Language)

It's impossible to choose the best from the plethora of profanity-laced tirades Jim Boeheim has provided over the years, but his Gundy-like diatribe over a local reporter's take on Gerry McNamara is up there. Don't you DARE question the great Gerry Mac on Boeheim's watch. Obviously, Jim has survived this one and many more as he embarks on his 42nd season as coach at Syracuse. Noticing a trend? Flipping out as a college coach actually might be good for your career, or maybe not ......

"We need more dogs." - David Bennett

Perhaps the viral rant from a college coach doesn't work when you are the coach of an FCS team. David Bennett, coach at Coastal Carolina from 2003 to 2011, only lasted 10 more games after his cat-shaming onslaught took the Internet by storm. He can dog-sit for me anytime though.

"Fat little girlfriends." - Mike Leach

After a 52-30 home loss to rival Texas A&M, Mike Leach, as only he can, sent a message to his team in the post-game press conference, specifically calling out their fat little girlfriends. They finished the season 3-1, but Leach was relieved of his duties before the bowl game due to an ongoing investigation of mistreatment of of a player. He's had no problem moving on though, beginning a new stint at Washington State in 2012, where he still currently coaches and provides viral gold.

"CAN'T DO IT." - Mike Singletary

What many don't realize is the GOAT of "I'm OLD SCHOOL!" rants took place after legendary linebacker Mike Singletary coached his first NFL game. Talk about making a statement. Singletary was not going to put up with any shit, and for a while, it worked. He finished his interim season in San Francisco with a record and 5-4, but the novelty wore off, going 13-18 in his next 31 games before being fired after a 2010 December loss to the St. Louis Rams with one week remaining in the season.