Another day, another legend coming out of retirement. When “Magic Man” David Taylor took up the job as OSU’s new head coach for the upcoming season, many fans were left heartbroken by the thought of not being able to see the Penn State alum in action anymore. But that’s about to change! In a shock announcement, Taylor announced that he will be returning to the mat for the upcoming 2024 Senior World Trials in Nebraska, Omaha in the 92kg weight bracket. Justifiably, folks over at OSU are just as thrilled.

In a post on X from September 14, the 33-year-old shared how his new camp is rallying behind his cause with excitement. In the accompanying video, one administrator from OSU narrates how Taylor found his love for wrestling once again despite his Olympic setback back in April. “I heard him say that getting this job had reinvigorated his love for wrestling,” says the person, and fans would be feeling the emotions taking over. Similar elation is exactly what Taylor’s boys are experiencing as well. “Coming into it, I didn’t think he would wrestle again,” says a Cowboys wrestler who has living the dream of learning the tricks of the trade from the 2020 Olympic gold medalist himself.

Another rising wrestler also revealed how Taylor has always assured his athletes that they would always find him in their corner. “Preached from the beginning, gonna do workouts with you, be on the mat with you, be in the trenches with you,” the student-wrestler hails his coach for his integrity. While the wrestlers are justifiably raging on as their HC prepares himself for the 2024 Non-Olympic World Team Trials, the administrative people of OSU are also cheering for their champion just as vehemently.

“As an administration, we were definitely supportive of him. As a recruit, I would be really excited. I mean the head coach is living the life. he’s walking the walk, talking the talk,” rightly says one of the head honchos from OSU. With the program being unable to make its mark in the NCAA circuit in recent years, it looks like Taylor was just the thing the school needed to breathe fire into its engine. “He does everything the right way,” notes the person in the video, and it looks like their faith in the Olympic wrestler’s capabilities remains as unwavering as ever. Now, Taylor has the opportunity to not only relive his glorious time on the mat in Omaha but also show his collegiate foes that his coaching responsibilities have not dampened his skills as a prolific wrestler.

Davis Taylor’s chance to show his critics their place

During the introduction press conference as OSU’s new HC in May, Taylor said that this wasn’t a path he took just because his chances of defending the 2020 Olympic gold came to an abrupt end at the hands of Aaron Brooks. Instead, the Magic Man looked calm and collected. “I’m at peace with it, because I did everything I wanted to do in my career — everything and more,” Taylor said in the press conference, underscoring that he’s done chasing things in life. While he looked eager to embark on the new journey, his former squad at Penn State was reeling from his decision. Four-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci was fuming over Taylor’s alleged “betrayal” of the NLWC and claimed that he couldn’t wait to go against OSU to bring misery to the latter’s first year as a wrestling coach.

With uncarted faith in Cael Sanderson’s track record as a phenomenal wrestling coach, Penn State’s Athletic Director Pat Kraft also claimed that Taylor would be in for a bashing if the two schools crossed paths in the NCAA. “We’re happy for David. He’s one of ours. But, I’m gonna just tell you, we’re the best wrestling program in the world,” Kraft said in July, and it only highlights the intensity of the rivalry between Penn State and OSU at the moment. But will Taylor be able to squash the doubtful voices as he takes to the mat at the CHI Health Center? Can he dominate his opponents like he did during his Penn State days and secure a spot in the team to represent the USA in Tirana, Albania in October? We’ll have to wait to see.