In wrestling, there are plenty of big names to be discussed who have represented the United States on the international stage. David Taylor is one such name that was once feared on the mat. Now the retired professional wrestler is assigned big duties. One of them is to coach Oklahoma and bring the team to the top of the NCAA rankings for the 2024-25 season.

However, switching from a full-time wrestler to a coach wasn’t an effortless decision for Taylor. He did have his fair share of troubles with his adjustment. Moreover, he offered his candid thoughts on how the landscape of college wrestling has changed. There was a contrasting difference between the era he competed in and the era where he coached the up-and-coming talents in the sport. 

The Olympic champion’s candid thoughts

In May, announcements arose of how David Taylor would spearhead Oklahoma State University’s coaching staff as their new head coach. He was confident in his position of taking this big responsibility. Eventually, he rightly predicted the Cowboys’ dominance at the start of the NCAA season. Eventually, he attended an interview with FloWrestling after a great opener, where he shared many insights on college wrestling.

Likewise, he was asked whether he would’ve been more interested in wrestling through the junior divisions of the current era. It’s because the transfer portals and NIL, these days, make a tremendous difference. The athlete talked extensively about the changing landscape of the sport, expressing their views on the matter.

“I mean, I really enjoyed wrestling when I wrestled, you know. I think college wrestling was looking for a spark and, um, I think our era really lit a fire for college wrestling, you know, which I think was great. So I just think you know I really enjoyed it and um yeah, it wasn’t that far away, but it also seems like it was a really long time ago, you know,” said Taylor. 

The head coach of Oklahoma acknowledged the difference between his era of wrestling and the current era. He stressed about the unique thing that he and other college wrestlers of his time brought to the sport. However, while the landscape is ever-changing in wrestling, Taylor focused on a crucial detail. 

He stated, “Um, but yeah, times have changed and you just continue to adapt you know to obviously as the times changing but the thing, same things remain the same, just trying to help the guys. Be the best versions of themselves when they step on the mat, you know. Um, remind them of what’s obviously really important and you know wrestling’s still a pretty tough sport and uh, you just got to be prepared to you know, obviously go out and get after it.”

Just like humans adapt to certain situations, the ever-changing landscape of college wrestling also forces wrestlers to make the necessary changes to keep up with the current era. However, as a coach, Taylor has always motivated his wrestlers to perform at their very best with all the potential they have inside them. As per him, the sport hasn’t changed owing to its difficulty. So, he wants wrestlers to be adaptable to the environment. 

Notably, Oklahoma’s HC has several responsibilities on his shoulders for the 2024-25 NCAA season. Owing to fans’ expectations, his wrestlers performed great during the season opener, which took place at Utah Valley. However, returning to Utah made Taylor emotional as he met some people who once helped him shape his wrestling career.

An emotional David Taylor after the season opener

The moment David Taylor became the head coach, he made substantial statements about dominating the NCAA season from the get-go. And was he successful with his quest? Yes, he was, as Oklahoma could win eight out of the ten bouts. His wrestlers destroyed Utah Valley with a commanding 38-6, making him proud. However, returning to Utah was emotional for him, apart from pure college wrestling.

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I didn’t get a chance to see everybody, um, but I got a chance to see a lot of people. You know, my very first club was you know the Red Devils that’s where I first started wrestling I was five,” said Taylor.

Coming to Utah reminded Taylor of his young self, who aspired to become a professional wrestler. He also had an opportunity to see his coach and the Evanson Elite Little Kids Club. The whole season opener was filled with complex emotions for the retired wrestler, as he embarked on his new journey of becoming a top NCAA coach.