NORMAN, Okla. — An Oklahoma college football coach announced his resignation over the weekend for reading an offensive word aloud during a film session.
Cale Gundy, who had been with the University of Oklahoma football program first as a player in 1990, then joining the coaching staff in 1999, announced his resignation on social media late Sunday night.
In a lengthy statement, Gundy explained that he resigned after reading aloud a word from a player's iPad that he “should never — under any circumstance — have uttered."
“Last week, during a film session, I instructed my players to take notes,” the 50-year-old coach said. “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.”
Gundy said he was "horrified" after realizing what he had just said out loud.
“What I said was not malicious; it wasn’t even intentional,” Gundy wrote. “Still, I am mature enough to know that the word I said was shameful and hurtful, no matter what my intentions.”
Sooner Nation, thank you. pic.twitter.com/BYBOjObGna
— Cale Gundy (@OU_CoachGundy) August 8, 2022
Gundy, who is the brother of Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, coached wide receivers for the past seven seasons coaching wide receivers, the Associated Press reported.
Sooners coach Brent Venables, who is in his first year as head coach after being hired in December, issued a statement saying he had accepted Gundy's resignation “with sadness.”
"He’s dedicated more than half of his life to Oklahoma Football and has served our program and university well,” Venables said. “We’re thankful for that commitment. We also acknowledge that in stepping aside, he’s placed the program and the welfare of our student-athletes first. In coaching and in life, we’re all accountable for our actions and the resulting outcomes.”
Statement from head football coach Brent Venables: pic.twitter.com/aXe3ak9uza
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 8, 2022
On Monday, Venables released a new statement, saying Gundy read the "racially charged word" aloud multiple times.
"Coach Gundy resigned from the program because he knows what he did was wrong," Venables said. "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. He knows our goals for excellence and that coaches have special responsibilities to set an example."
Monday statement from head football coach Brent Venables: pic.twitter.com/grSwj3YlPC
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 8, 2022
On Sunday, Venables said that L’Damian Washington would coach the wide receivers on an interim basis.
According to the Associated Press, Washington was an offensive analyst for the team.
