STILLWATER — Doug Meacham doesn’t know what is next for him after the Oklahoma State football season ends this weekend, but asked what advice he’d give the next head Cowboy, Meacham pointed first to scouting.
“You have to do a phenomenal job of picking the right players,” Meacham said Monday in his final weekly news conference as OSU’s interim head coach.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Anybody can pick an all-star team. It’s picking the right guys and being able to develop a team where you have certain levels of talent and certain levels of leadership and things that when you put it all in and stir it up, it equals a championship team.”
Meacham doesn’t know what’s next for him when the season ends, but holding the head coaching position for nine games has only strengthened his view of learning as much as possible about the players you’re recruiting.
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“That guy has got to a good job of researching inside-out each one of these guys, not just what you see on tape,” Meacham said. “A guy that can evaluate that way and have those kind of tools is critical in this game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Being able to assess and make good judgments on picking a team is critical to me. It’s hard to do, because the allure of picking the big, fast guy is hard to say no to. But you gotta continue to research it and see if there’s a guy that’s gonna fit what you’re trying to accomplish.”
The Cowboys host Iowa State at 11 a.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, broadcast on ESPNU.
The OSU roster has 28 seniors, and those players have played a key role in keeping this team afloat during the toughest of times.
“A lot of those guys, they don’t have any motives other than they wanna play football and win a game,” Meacham said. “It’s always good to have those guys who have all those experiences.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“If the younger guys will pay attention and listen to what they have to say, they’ll learn a lot and probably bypass some things that you might’ve run head-on into had you not listened to those guys who’ve been down the road you’re traveling.”
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Nov 1, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Doug Meacham during warmups prior to a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn ImagesWhat has this year meant to Meacham?
As an OSU alum and first-time head coach, Meacham has appreciated the opportunity to hold a spot that is so dear to him, even in such difficult circumstances.
“Obviously, I don't like the record, the numerics of it, but just the opportunity for Chad Weiberg to have the faith in me to be able to get us to the finish line means a lot,” he said. “They saw something in me that they felt like I could be the front man for this football team. I'm kinda tired of saying, 'Through these tough times,' because who cares? No one cares. It's been an honor to do it. It's been kinda unique and cool to go through this as a head coach.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It's good to be able to look through the curtain and look at the other side of it and see how sometimes head coaches, you may disagree with, you can kinda go, ‘OK, now I kinda get why they did that.’”
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Meacham recalls his senior day
Oddly enough, Meacham’s senior day as an OSU offensive lineman was against Iowa State as well.
While the Pokes (1-10, 0-8 Big 12) are two-touchdown underdogs Saturday, the 1987 squad overpowered the Cyclones 48-27 thanks to a record-setting performance by Thurman Thomas.
“I think Thurman rushed for 300, and once again, I didn’t block anybody,” Meacham joked.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWell, not quite 300. Thomas finished with 293 yards, which at the time was OSU’s single-game record and now stands tied for eighth on the all-time list.
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
OSU vs. Iowa State
KICKOFF: 11 a.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ESPNU)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football's Doug Meacham offers advice for next coach
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