STILLWATER — Robby Discher was in his late-20s with a full-time job as special teams coach at Sam Houston State when his phone rang. The incoming call with the 405 area code was Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
It was prior to the 2014 season and Gundy offered Discher a promotion with the Cowboys — well, a sort-of promotion.
By accepting a graduate assistant position to coordinate special teams at OSU, Discher would jump from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Big 12. But it was also a move marked with serious sacrifice, as a GA’s salary cannot exceed the value of a full-grant-in-aid, full-time student, per NCAA rules.