David Taylor, a distinguished figure in American wrestling, has proved himself both as a wrestler and a coach. His potential to disrupt the long-standing dominance of coaches like Cael Sanderson, who have been ruling the stage for more than a decade, is a matter of interest in the wrestling community.

As a wrestler, Taylor received multiple accolades, and even after saying goodbye to the mat (after failing in the US Olympic trials for the 2024 Olympics), he made his comeback but in a different role. He eventually won a bronze at the World Championship. After winning two gold and two silver medals at the NCAA Division I Championships, he is eyeing the NCAA team title as a coach. How many current wrestling coaches have won a title?

Justin Basch, CEO, and Founder of Basch Solutions, LLC, answered the question through his post on X. He wrote, “Just 3: Cael Sanderson, Tom Brands, & Tom Ryan, with Cael winning 11 of the last 13. Since 2001, only Cael, Brands, Tom Ryan, J Robinson, and John Smith have won team titles. Since 1989, only Iowa, Ok State, Minnesota, Penn State, and Ohio State have won titles.”

Let’s know about the NCAA team titles won by coaches. It is not without reason that Cael Sanderson is the topmost wrestling coach; he has won most titles. Out of his 13 seasons, Cael Sanderson won 11 while coaching Penn State and Iowa State. What about the national champions? Sanderson won 40 national championships throughout his career. Since he started coaching, he has coached 36 NCAA champions. What about others?

Tom Brands led the Hawkeyes with four national titles. During his tenure as a head coach, 8 wrestlers won individual national titles and over 200 dual meets. Tom Ryan’s coaching career is no less; he has been coaching Ohio State since 2007. Ryan led the Buckeyes to the 2015 National Championship and five NCAA runner-up finishes. Now, with all these legends, David Taylor is the upcoming sensation in the wrestling world as a coach after competitive wrestling. But do you think that the rivalry between OSU and Penn State is intense due to David Taylor?

The rivalry between Penn State and Oklahoma State became intense when Taylor shifted from Penn as a student to OSU as a head coach. A few months ago, Christian Pyles was seen on FloWrestling Radio Live, and the hosts discussed the rivalry between the two programs. They went back in the past and talked about the Carter Starocci post in which he slammed David Taylor for being dishonest. Of course, indirectly. What did Christian Pyles have to say?

Christian Pyles said, “For me if I could say you get to watch one duel next year, it is Penn State vs. Oklahoma State by a large margin. They are way ahead of everyone. The tension, the rivalry that will be, and what is going to be coming in the next couple of years [between the two programs] is going to be insane.” With David Taylor’s NCAA debut, the rivalry will take a new turn, and he is all geared up to prove himself.

David Taylor’s coaching career started with a victory at hand

After a strong wrestling career, David Taylor proved his talent and worth as a head coach of Oklahoma State. He has shown his skill by guiding his team to a 32-6 win against Wyoming. It shows his excellence as a trainer, and in such a short tenure, David has marked his resilience.

David Taylor has shown the capability to make a historical record, starting with his first victory. OSU has even won a title under David Taylor’s training. Which title, you may ask? Oklahoma State won the 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (CKLV) wrestling tournament.

And now Penn State and Oklahoma are in the rival stage to win the NCAA championship as well. Taylor is also eyeing the upcoming NCAA title championship, and Cael Sanderson will be the toughest competition in the path of Taylor. The upcoming March session will be interesting to watch, as an old student will be against his former coach– David Taylor, and Cael Sanderson for the NCAA title. Tell us who you support.