The head coach of Oklahoma State football, Mike Gundy, took to social media on Tuesday night to apologize for his earlier comments made to reporters, where he implied that some fans criticizing the Cowboys during their current six-game losing streak are “the same ones who can’t pay their own bills.”

“I apologize to anyone who was offended by my comments in Monday’s media call,” Gundy said in a post on X. “It was not my intention to upset any of our loyal fans who have been with us and supported this program over the years.”

Oklahoma State’s record stands at 3-6, putting them just one loss away from their first losing season since 2005, Gundy’s debut year as head coach at his alma mater. This comes after they were initially ranked No. 18 in the US LBM Coaches Poll before the season began. Gundy’s frustration grew following a 42-21 defeat at home against Arizona State.

“Typically, those who are negative and voicing complaints are also the ones who struggle to take care of their own responsibilities,” Gundy remarked. “They don’t prioritize their own well-being, family, or jobs. Yet, they feel compelled to criticize others, thinking it alleviates their own issues. Ultimately, when they lay their heads down at night, they remain failures despite their negative commentary about others.”

As the most successful coach in Oklahoma State football history, Gundy has recorded 18 consecutive bowl game appearances and a total of 169 career victories. However, his team is currently without a win in Big 12 play ahead of Saturday’s matchup against TCU, potentially leading to his worst season as a coach; he had a 4-7 record in his first year in 2005.

This losing streak marks the longest in Gundy’s tenure. Notably, this is not the first time he has found himself needing to backtrack on public statements.

Previously, Gundy has apologized for referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and for wearing a t-shirt supporting One America News Network, which upset former Oklahoma State star athlete Chuba Hubbard. In July, he also had to clarify comments regarding the DUI arrest of current Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II, where he initially said, “Well I thought, ‘I’ve probably done that a thousand times in my life. That’s okay. I was lucky, and some people get lucky.”

This Monday, Gundy expressed his discontent toward certain fans.

“The gist of my message is that this university has experienced remarkable success for nearly two decades, but unfortunately, most people crumble when circumstances don’t meet their expectations,” Gundy told reporters. “They start blaming others instead of owning their responses. This behavior is very common; it’s why I choose not to watch the news—I get weary of people focusing on complaints instead of seeking solutions to improve their situation.”

The next day, Gundy’s comments provoked enough backlash that he needed to apologize to prevent the situation from worsening.