http://thespun.com/college-football/big-12-slights-steve-sarkisian-with-coach-of-the-year-pick
By Tzvi Machlin
Sport Illustrated's The Spun
November 29, 2023
There have been more than a few times this year when Sark pissed me off by taking his offensive foot off the accelerator, BUT there is no doubt that, among the Big 12 football teams, he IS the Big 12 Coach of the Year. No doubts whatsoever.
2023 will be Texas' final year in the Big 12 Conference and they could very well end their tenure as champions this weekend. But Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is getting a bit slighted on his way out.
According to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has been named Big 12 Coach of the Year. Gundy led the Cowboys to a 9-3 record in the regular season that included a massive upset win over Oklahoma which helped propel them to the Big 12 Championship Game.
"Mike Gundy is Big 12 Coach of the Year. There's your lovely league parting gift, Steve Sarkisian," Forde wrote.
But the decision is a bit of a head scratcher for a number of reasons. As some in the responses to Forde's post have noted, Oklahoma State suffered a loss to South Alabama, a middling Group of Five school, and also lost by 42 to UCF.
Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) ~ Mike Gundy is Big 12 Coach of the Year. There's your lovely league parting gift, Steve Sarkisian.
"High level pettiness to give it to a guy who was blown out at home to both UCF AND South Alabama. College football really is the best sometimes," one user replied.
"Listen I think Gundy did a borderline remarkable job turning his team around this year, but giving your COTY award to a guy who lost to two 6-6 teams by a combined score of 78-10?" wrote another.
"Mike Gundy lost to UCF and South Alabama on purpose so that he could make a 9-3 record look even more impressive and thus take COTY from Sark. Awesome," a third joked.
We'll see if Sarkisian can at least take a Big 12 championship with him to the SEC next year.
Well, that's been a big problem of the conference for the past many years ... it's led by petty, unimaginative weenies. I hate to leave some of the Big 12 teams behind, but onward and upward.
The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence
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