Oklahoma State head wrestling coach David Taylor is about to hit the mats again, representing the United States in the 92-kilogram weight class at the 2024 Senior World Championships. He expressed his excitement, saying, “It’s something that everyone in this room is aspiring to do. I think it’s great for the guys to see that. I’m pumped to go wrestle!” The championships will be held from October 28-31 in Tirana, Albania. Taylor is now on a mission to snag his third consecutive gold medal after his wins in 2022 and 2023. You might be wondering why he’s still competing after becoming a coach.

Five months ago, David Taylor surprised everyone by announcing his retirement after being knocked out at the U.S. Olympic Trials for Paris 2024. He mentioned feeling a “dwindling inner fire” after clinching the 86 kg Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, which he considered his final major achievement. He took on the head coaching role at Oklahoma State University (OSU), but after watching the competitions in Paris, that fire was reignited, and he decided to get back on the mat. You might be curious about how he’s balancing both his athlete and coaching responsibilities.

Recently, Taylor faced a question about managing the dual roles of being an athlete and a coach on the YouTube channel Pistols Firing. He commented, “This whole situation is unique. You know, for example, Dustin came with me to the World Team Trials, and I thought that wrestling with him during that time was really beneficial because he got to compete with me at the level where I was preparing. It brought out a different level of competition in him—a competitive side I hadn’t seen prior to that, which I thought was really good.” Initially, Taylor discussed the idea with Dustin Plott, but he started questioning whether it was the best choice for him. “Training and being a partner are very different; as a partner, you’re focused on helping someone else improve, while training is all about you.”

They agreed on a balance: mornings for training and afternoons dedicated to helping Dustin prepare for the upcoming season. Taylor emphasized the importance of Dustin’s preparation and ultimately decided it was best for him to stay back. Instead, Brent Thompson, who is redshirting this year and making great strides in his development, will accompany Taylor. Taylor acknowledged the challenges of a redshirt year, saying, “Sometimes, during a redshirt year, you can feel lost, especially after competing last year, but he’s very focused and pushing the guys in practice.”

Taylor is excited to come over and wrestle; it will be a great experience for him to witness a World Championship, which is something he aspires to do in the future. Having a redshirt year provides him with added flexibility; he sheds light on the reasoning behind these choices. The selfish thing would be to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to wrestle, and everyone else will figure it out.” But was his early retirement solely attributed to his disappointment in the outcome of the trial?

David Taylor’s journey from Olympic hopeful to head coach

David Taylor entered the Olympic Team Trials for April as the frontrunner in the 86 kg weight category with expectations from fans at Penn State who believed the “Magic Man” would excel and retain his championship in Paris. However, a twist of fate unfolded when Aaron Brooks triumphed over him in the match, dashing those aspirations. After this challenge, Taylor embraced the position of head coach at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

The Cowboys were excited to have such a decorated wrestler on board, hoping his experience would help bring back their NCAA glory days. However, his former colleagues at Penn State were quick to remind him about the challenge of dealing with Cael Sanderson’s dominance in collegiate wrestling.

Now, as Taylor gears up for a crucial match against Marsteller, the pressure is on for him to show that his wrestling career isn’t over yet. In an Instagram post, he made it clear that he won’t stop pushing himself until he secures his legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers out there. With his Olympic dreams sidelined, he sees the upcoming October event as a vital chance to showcase his skill. Will Taylor rise to the occasion and prove the doubters wrong? Fans and fellow wrestlers are eagerly awaiting the showdown to see if he can reclaim his spot among the elite.