David Taylor’s first year as head coach for Oklahoma State Wrestling was already generating plenty of buzz. But now, he’s etched his name into the Big 12 history books. With OSU’s hard-fought victory at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships, Taylor became the only coach apart from Cael Sanderson to win a conference title in his debut season. But while the milestone is historic, Taylor isn’t one to bask in past successes—his focus is locked on the NCAA Championships.

The win aside, for Taylor it is just the start.“We’re competitors, we’ve got to improve. We’ve got two weeks to get ready to go, but we’re not changing the world. We’ve got a great system in place,” he emphasized.

Taylor took over OSU after legendary coach John Smith retired following a 33-year reign, leaving massive shoes to fill. Under his leadership, Oklahoma State has not only dominated the recruiting scene, but has also shattered attendance records at the Gallagher-Iba Arena, proving that excitement surrounding the program is at an all-time high. In Tulsa, OSU secured its 56th conference championship and 20th Big 12 title. However, Taylor isn’t celebrating yet; he’s currently focused on the ultimate goal.

“It’s a team effort,” David Taylor said after the tournament. “Every point matters. We talk about the bonus points we can score as a team, and today, we needed every single one. There’s a lot of good experiences we can take from this leading into the national tournament.”

Under Taylor’s guidance, OSU saw several standout performances. Jett Strickenberger won the 125-pound title in a thrilling 5-2 sudden victory, while Tagen Jamison fought to overtime at 141 pounds before falling short against Northern Iowa’s Cael Happel. Despite the setbacks, Taylor remained focused on the bigger picture.

“That’s why you wrestle. It’s hard to replicate those feelings, those emotions in the practice room,” Taylor explained. “I thought we got better after wrestled the Iowa match. We got better in this tournament. But also about resetting expectations, as individuals and as a program you know and um it’s a blessing to be there and I’m you know I wish we won those matches yeah but you know what we’re going to learn from those things and and we’re be a better team here in a couple weeks.”

Oklahoma State’s recent victory also marked the university’s 56th overall conference championship, highlighting that the Cowboys remain a formidable team. Taylor’s coaching style has continued a championship culture in Stillwater, and the results demonstrate this success clearly.

David Taylor’s message for what’s next

For Taylor, winning the Big 12 was never the ultimate goal—it’s always been about NCAA dominance. The Cowboys will have a short turnaround as they gear up for the National Tournament, where David Taylor expects them to peak at the right time.

OSU faced challenges throughout the season, navigating a demanding schedule that pushed them against some of the top programs in the country. Taylor is confident that this tough experience will benefit them at the Nationals.

“We’ve been in a lot of tight matches. We’ve had to grind out wins. That kind of experience is going to make the difference at Nationals,” he stated.

Oklahoma State’s confidence is at an all-time high, and head coach David Taylor knows this is just the beginning. The Cowboys have shown they are a strong team in NCAA wrestling, and with their new coach already making waves, even better things might come.

In his first year, Taylor brought home a conference title for Oklahoma State, proving he was the right fit for the job. But the biggest challenge is still ahead. The NCAA Championships are coming up, and Taylor has said that OSU is not done yet. He noted, “We’re battle-tested, we’re prepared, and now we go to Nationals. We’ve got to go wrestle.”

With some history already made, Oklahoma State is ready to take on their next challenge with one goal: to bring an NCAA title back to Stillwater.