After a 3-9 season with the Cowboys (0-9 in the Big 12) — the worst in his 20 years in Stillwater — followed by a reworked contract, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is making big changes to his staff.
Todd Grantham is hired as Gundy’s new defensive coordinator. Grantham was the defensive line coach with the New Orleans Saints before being re-designated as head consultant when Darren Rizzi became interim head coach. Rizzi confirmed it leaves the staff this week for Oklahoma State.
“He did a great job behind the scenes with the defensive staff,” Rizzi told reporters via ESPN. “But it’s definitely a great opportunity for him. He made the decision that he wanted to get back into the college game.”
Grantham, 58, has been a defensive coordinator at numerous stops, including the Cleveland Browns, Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State and Florida. Head coaches he has worked under include Frank Beamer, Nick Saban, Mark Richt, Bobby Petrino and Dan Mullen.
In addition, Grantham has coached the defensive line and linebackers as well as being an assistant head coach on several staffs. He spent one season as a defensive analyst at Alabama before joining Dennis Allen’s staff in New Orleans.
Grantham was nominated for the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football in the state of Mississippi. He also oversaw top-20 defenses at Louisville and Florida.
Oklahoma State’s defense needs a major overhaul. The Cowboys were next to last (No. 132) among FBS teams in total defense and surrendered 500.6 yards per game under previous defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo. They also rank 125th in scoring defense, allowing 35.58 points per game.
Gundy has yet to hire a new offensive coordinator to replace Kasey Dunn. OSU finished 83rd in the FBS with 374 yards of total offense per game and ranked 72nd in scoring offense, averaging 27.2 points.