Cale Gundy, a coach and mainstay of the Oklahoma Sooners college football program, resigned on Sunday after admitting to reading aloud a word in front of the team's players that he described as "shameful and hurtful."
Gundy's 24-year association with the Sooners dates back to 1990, when he played three seasons as the team's quarterback, throwing more than 6,000 yards and achieving 35 touchdowns.
Having graduated in 1993, Gundy went on to serve as a graduate assistant in 1994, before moving on to coach quarterbacks and running backs at Alabama-Birmingham.
He eventually returned to his alma mater's football program as part of the then-coach Bob Stoops' staff in 1999. During the course of over two decades on the sidelines with Oklahoma, the team captured 14 Big 12 titles and the 2000 national championship.
Gundy, 50, announced his resignation in a lengthy statement shared to Twitter, in which he acknowledged saying a word he "should never - under any circumstance - have uttered."
Sooner Nation, thank you. pic.twitter.com/BYBOjObGna
— Cale Gundy (@OU_CoachGundy) August 8, 2022
According to the former wide receiver coach, he read the word off the screen of a "distracted" player's iPad during a film session last week. "I noticed a player was distracted and picked up his iPad and read aloud the words that were written on the screen," Gundy's statement explained.
"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 continued: "I want to be very clear: the words 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.
"The unfortunate reality is that someone in my position can cause harm without ever meaning to do so. In that circumstance, a man of character accepts accountability. I take responsibility for my mistake. I apologize."
