“It’s an honor to be in this position, and I’m extremely grateful,” said David Taylor, stepping into his new role as head coach of Oklahoma State’s wrestling team. The Cowboys, who compete at NCAA Division I, have won 34 national and 143 individual NCAA titles and 485 All-American honors—more than any other team in any sport. Taylor, an Olympic gold medalist and former Penn State NCAA champion, takes over from the previous coach following the tenure of the illustrious Smith.

While Taylor is excited about the opportunity, he raises concerns about how the athletes will react to this major change. “What worries me most is how the kids will react,” he admitted, aware of their vulnerability during this transition. Taylor has always been a voice in the wrestling world, and his insights highlight the challenges ahead for Oklahoma State’s storied program.

David Taylor discussed rising concerns for kids at OSU

David also emphasized the uncertainty and vulnerability that team members felt after significant changes took place. This suggests David Taylor’s recognition of the instability within the team following the departure of a respected and influential coach, John Smith. Now, these athletes are grappling with the transition between the familiar past and the uncertain future. Taylor highlighted how this new leadership could potentially affect their performances.

In the candid conversation with David Taylor, he even discussed how he first approached all the young athletes as he continued, “Early on, I was establishing trust, you know, I think the best way to do that is honesty, communication. And the decision that I made was I believe the best decision for me,” emphasizing how building trust is important through open communication and transparency. He concentrated more on what the athletes wanted by saying David’s main goal was to change their lives for a better future. David even prioritized more athletes’ wishes as he asked that only those athletes who actually wanted to stay here would be there as if it were up to them. 

Then, as he recounted how their preparation process progressively revealed the squad’s benchmarks and aspirations, he observed how the constant reiteration of these goals over time solidified the mentality and ambitions being embraced by the competitors. This continuous reinforcement helped unify the team, aligning everyone’s efforts toward their shared objectives and strengthening the way they conceived and conducted themselves. He further added, “This is what we’re going to do to be successful,” explaining how slow progress can improve the team’s performance in the upcoming events.

It has been two months since he joined as a head coach, and he and all the athletes have worked hard to get to this position. Now, their forms and performances have changed, as he expressed with confidence, “And if you go back to what we looked like two months ago and what we looked like today, it’s day and night,” concluding by saying how the team has become different, and its future looks promising to David.

Oklahoma State wrestling’s next chapter: Navigating the impact of a major transition

The Oklahoma State wrestling program is indeed at a pivotal moment with David Taylor’s appointment as head coach. Given the program’s rich history and Taylor’s own impressive background, it will be fascinating to see how he navigates the challenges and opportunities that come with leading such a storied team. His focus on athlete well-being and adaptability could be key in shaping the future success of the program, potentially restoring it to its former glory, but in a way that reflects his unique approach and philosophy.

As the sixth head coach of the Cowboys, David Taylor is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for the team, aware of the high stakes involved. With championships deeply embedded in Oklahoma wrestling’s DNA, Taylor understands the weight of the program’s legacy. The Sooners boast an impressive history, including 67 individual national champions, 278 All-Americans, 186 conference champions, and 24 team conference championships. Notably, they have also secured seven national team championships. Taylor, an NCAA champion himself, is seen as the right person to carry forward this storied legacy.

Once, in an interview with FloWrestling, German former wrestling professional Alex Wright said, “(David) was a great personality. People who meet him love him. He knows how to work a room. He’s very good, and I think he’ll be able to get the recruits in.” Showing his confidence in David’s ability to take the team forward. He further added that as he knows the entire system pretty well and also he is very smart, he can be as good as possible, concluding the statement by saying, “He’s going to do a good job.” So, we can say that the future of OSU wrestling is in the right hands.