After a triumphant stint in the 2020 Tokyo Games, David Taylor missed out during the Olympic Trials this year. If that wasn’t shocking enough, the wrestling world had to witness the legend retire from the sport. But this opened up a new door for the 34-year-old. Instead of staying away from the mat, he pivoted into coaching by taking on the role of the head coach at Oklahoma State. The wrestler-turned-coach has proven to have the Midas touch. What do we mean? 

OSU floored their competition with a dominant performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (CKLV) on Saturday. The credit, of course, goes to the former Nittany Lion’s expertise and coaching. Even though the wrestler has racked up several accolades throughout his career, this will always be special. Why? Well, this was his first career win as a coach, and he couldn’t have been any prouder. What did he have to say?

David Taylor gives an honest take on OSU’s performances

Under the 34-year-old’s guidance, the No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team won the 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. David Taylor had high hopes for them, given how he worked towards building a dream team ever since he took over the reins. FloWrestling caught up with the head coach, wondering if he observed anything about his squad over the weekend. The Olympian didn’t hold back. “Pretty resilient, you know?” he opined. 

But that’s not all he had to say. The head coach added, “I think stuff that we’re working on in practice, they’re willing to do it, and I think it’s just continue to believe in each other and process that we, you know, we’re kind of working on.” After their stellar performance at the 2024 CKLV, OSU claimed two individual titles from heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson and 174-pounder Dean Hamiti Jr. So, how did they do at the invitational?

The Cowboys dominated the mat, earning 192 team points by the end of the meet. In fact, they came up short of the 198.25 points record set by Oklahoma State in 1983. However, OSU outscored second-place Nebraska by 77 points and won the invitational with a combined 48-10 record. With this, they beat 31 ranked wrestlers and 18 conference opponents. Additionally, 25 bonus-point wins catapulted their historical point total.

Wait, that’s not it! All 10 Cowboys didn’t place any lower than fifth. Wonder why that’s impressive? Well, they now are the first team to do so since 1999. On the other hand, this is the fourth time it’s been done. But here’s the kicker! OSU has replicated all four of these performances, being the only collegiate wrestling program to do so. With such impressive numbers, FloWrestling wanted to know if David Taylor’s expectations had been surpassed throughout the weekend. 

The wrestler-turned-coach took time to reflect on the meet before stating, “Yeah, I mean, I think we’re just trying to get better.” However, he added that the CKLV was an opportunity to wrestle against good competition and assess their progress after an incredible training session. The 34-year-old reiterated that he was satisfied with his team’s ability to perform consistently and their ability to accept the changes and want to get better. However, despite it all, they still seemed to fall behind the Olympian’s former team. How’s that?

The Nittany Lions reign over the Cowboys

If there’s one thing to note from OSU’s dominance at the CKLV, it would be that they’re aiming to rewrite history. However, Penn State might have thrown a wrench into their early celebrations. How’s that? On December 9, Cliff Keen Athletic presented their rankings in WIN Magazine, showcasing both TPI and dual-team rankings. Before we move further, here’s a refresher. WIN’s TPI showcases where collegiate wrestling programs would finish in the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships.

Now, according to this, Penn State has topped the charts with 2-0, featuring freshman Luke Lilledahl, who is ranked No. 5 at 125 pounds. As for the Cowboys? They bagged the second spot in the Tournament Power Index. CKLV champion Dean Hamiti Jr. is ranked No. 3 at 174 pounds, while Wyatt Hendrickson is also No. 3 in the heavyweight class. On the other hand, they went down to the third position in the Top-20 Dual Teams list, right behind Iowa.

But they aren’t the only ones who made it to the list. Several other wrestlers led by David Taylor have left a mark. Caleb Fish in the 157 category is No. 11, while Reece Witcraft in the 133 weight class is No. 13. Even Dustin Platt nabbed the No. 3 in the 184 weight class. However, it was the Olympian’s dark horse that turned heads. Who are we talking about?

Troy Spratley made a big jump and moved to No. 2 in the 125-pound category. Isn’t that exciting? But this isn’t the end, not yet! Even though all 10 wrestlers proved their mettle on the mat, the wrestler-turned-coach is looking forward to even more carnage the next time they step on the mat. So, what do you have to look forward to? Well, the Cowboys will lock horns with Oklahoma in Norman at McCasland Field House on December 13. Will you be watching?