Despite still virtually being a rookie as a collegiate wrestling head coach, David Taylor has already proved his mettle. All those years of training under one of the best coaches in college wrestling history, Cael Sanderson, while winning world titles and Olympic gold, has helped Taylor excel in his new role. However, the relative newcomer has already identified the x-factor of OSU’s wrestling culture.

“Wrestling in Gallagher is awesome. The momentum will continue to build. Oklahoma State loves wrestling,” said the Magic Man after experiencing the electrifying atmosphere of the Gallagher-Iba Arena. The head coach has seen just how eager the Oklahoma wrestling fans are to see the Cowboys win. The team hasn’t disappointed, winning all six of their bouts so far.

“It’s loud, it’s exciting, the crowd’s educated. Home mat advantage is awesome. The fans are the most important thing,” David Taylor explained after seeing the crowd show up every time the Cowboys wrestle inside the 13,611-capacity arena. Their most recent outing in front of the home crowd resulted in another dominant victory, this time over Virginia Tech.

The fans once again roared on December 20, 2024, as Taylor’s boys cruised to a 34-9 victory. “Just really happy with the guys… I think we’re getting better every week,” said the 34-year-old former Olympic champion. Taylor also envisions further success, hoping to capitalize on the momentum to make OSU wrestling a force to be reckoned with.

“We want this place to be a place that people fear coming to wrestle. We want people from all over Oklahoma, everywhere, to come watch our duels,” said David Taylor while explaining his vision for Cowboy Wrestling. In fact, the three-time world champion thinks the fans will play a pivotal role.“It starts with our fans here, obviously, in this arena,” added Taylor. However, Oklahoma State wrestling has some ways to go before that happens.

The present and future of OSU wrestling under David Taylor

Despite currently being on the 6-0 undefeated run, Cowboy Wrestling didn’t clinch any top spots in InterMat’s (Week 8) season rankings. Across the ten weight classes, the closest any of the Cowboys came to raking #1 was in the 125 lbs category. Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley grabbed second place with an 11-1 record. And while most were in the top ten, some were behind.

133-pound prospect Reece Witcraft ranked #18 with a record of 8-2. However, there’s a long way to go before the season ends, and these rankings definitely have a chance to improve. And the InterMet ranking isn’t the be-all and end-all of the standings either, as, despite his undefeated 11-0 record, heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson found himself ranked third.

Meanwhile, Tokyo 2020 heavyweight Olympic champion Gable Stevenson achieved #1 as he returned to college wrestling. David Taylor is also confident in his side. “Belief, you know, you know, we’re just guys are believing,” Taylor said in a post-match press conference after defeating Virginia Tech on December 20.

The 34-year-old also knows that making his vision a reality will take time. The former Olympic champion believes that with time, practice, and the fan’s support, OSU can become the “centerpiece” for college wrestling. How far do you think David Taylor can take Cowboy Wrestling? Write your views in the comments.