Oklahoma Coach Cale Gundy Resigns After Reading ‘Hateful Word’ in Team Meeting

Cale Gundy
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Warner Todd Huston

Oklahoma wide receivers coach Cale Gundy resigned on Sunday after reading a “hateful word” off a player’s iPad during a team meeting.

In an apology letter posted to social media, the coach said it was “one particular word that I should never — under any circumstance — have uttered,” Fox News reported.

The coach’s nearly 25-year career ended abruptly when during a film review session last week, he saw a currently unidentified player paying more attention to his iPad than to the game film.

Gundy then reportedly took the iPad from the student and read aloud what was on its screen. Unfortunately, one of the words the coach read was a racial slur.

In his letter, Gundy explained, “Last week, during a film session, I instructed my players to take notes. I noticed a player was distracted and picked up his iPad and read aloud the words that were written on his screen.”

“The words displayed had nothing to do with football. One particular word that I should never — under any circumstance — have uttered was displayed on that screen. In the moment, I did not even realize what I was reading and, as soon as I did, I was horrified,” Gundy added.

“I want to be very clear: The words that I read aloud from that screen were not my words. What I said was not malicious; it wasn’t even intentional. Still, I am mature enough to know that the word I said was shameful and hurtful, no matter my intentions,” he wrote.

He also said that he “owes it to the Sooner Nation to be transparent” about the incident.

Oklahoma first-year head coach Brent Venables said he accepted the resignation and insisted that those associated with the school are “all accountable for our actions and the resulting outcomes.”

“It’s with sadness that I accept coach Gundy’s resignation,” Venables said in a statement. “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.

Cale Gundy is the younger brother of long-time Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and has been with the Sooners since 1999 servings as a running backs coach and a wide receivers coach. Gundy also attended the school and was a top quarterback from 1990 to 1993. He joined Bob Stoops’ first staff in 1999 and has been on hand for all 14 of Oklahoma’s Big 12 titles as well as its 2000 national championship.

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