Mike Gundy's now-signature hairstyle has put Oklahoma State football in the spotlight and resurfaced a decades-old fad.
Mike Gundy's mullet has entered its second year of popularizing business in the front and party in the back.
The Oklahoma State football coach claims that the now-famous 'do is worth "millions" to the school and has aided recruiting efforts. Gundy has rocked the style in the past, as an OSU quarterback, and the rebirth of his signature 'do seems to have inspired some college athletes to channel the 80s as well.
We looked back at the mullet's reach among college sports — from the 90s to now.
At the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Oregon this summer, Ole Miss distance runner Craig Engels debuted a legendary combo — mustache and mullet. The two-time SEC champion's hairdo probably would put some country music legends to shame.
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Name a better mullet + mustache combo...
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 8, 2017
We'll wait. pic.twitter.com/UP9kBi9FVi
Another athlete whose mullet has thrust them into the spotlight recently is Iowa wrestler Sammy Brooks. Last year, Brooks claimed a Big Ten championship, defeating Nebraska's TJ Dudley and credited fan support and his trust in himself to his mullet.
But Gundy's decision to bring back the retro hairstyle is certainly not a new trend.
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Former University of South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill was always one for theatrics, especially when it came to his hair. From 1992-1995, Taneyhill allowed the "party" part of his hair to grow out so long that it covered his name on the back of his football jersey.
Mullet pic.twitter.com/JF3DacRx4w
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) July 19, 2017
Brock Hekking, former University of Nevada defensive end, picked up on the mullet trend before Gundy made it cool again. In 2014, Bleacher Report declared Hekking's haircut as the "Best Mullet in College Football" and the former member of the Wolfpack has continued to wear his mullet into his professional career.
Winner at life. pic.twitter.com/JsVldZPNP0
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) September 6, 2014
Seems like the mullet is a multi-generational winner. Will the 2018 football season see some of Gundy’s players sporting million-dollar mullet? Only time will tell.
