Mike Gundy has long been one of the more colorful personalities in college football, especially when it comes to his interactions with the media. From his infamous “I’m a man, I’m 40!” rant to his candid, off-the-cuff style in pressers, Gundy has never shied away from speaking his mind or poking fun at himself. But lately, a new recurring theme has been grabbing people’s attention: nearly every week, Gundy opens his press conference by commenting asking if it was hot in the room or not. It’s become something of a running joke but is it really just about the room temperature, or is there something more to it?
There’s a case to be made that Gundy is trolling — not the media, not his critics, but himself. When he says, “Is it hot in here,” it feels less like a complaint about the air conditioning and more like a subtle nod to the metaphorical “hot seat” he sits on as a college football coach. Coaches live under constant scrutiny, and one bad season — or even one bad game — can get people talking. By bringing up the heat in the room, Gundy might be preemptively joining in on the conversation about job pressure before even more people can throw it at him.
Gundy is nothing if not self-aware. He knows how narratives work in sports media, and he knows how to deflect them with humor. Commenting on the temperature every single week feels less like coincidence and more like strategy. If he jokes about the room being hot, he takes control of the moment. He gets people laughing or rolling their eyes, and more importantly, he brings attention to the “heat” in a way that’s non-confrontational and clever. It’s his way of saying, “Yeah, I know the pressure’s on — I’m sweating too.”
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the room is just hot. Press rooms can be stuffy, full of lights, bodies, and poor airflow. But let’s be honest: if it really were just about the thermostat, he probably wouldn’t bring it up the way he did at the timimg he did.
This kind of self-deprecating humor fits Gundy’s style. He’s been around long enough to know how to handle the noise. By making the comments he did for being on the “hot seat”, he’s not just dodging criticism — he’s inviting it on his terms. It’s a subtle, veteran move that shows he’s still in control of the narrative, even when things around him might feel a little shaky.
At the end of the day, Mike Gundy probably is hot in that room — but he’s also making a point. Whether it’s a wink at the media, a nod to the pressure, or just a running joke he’s grown fond of, the message is layered. He’s feeling the heat. He just prefers to joke about it before anyone else can. And that’s classic Gundy.