Let’s rewind a little. Back to when Penn State lost its assistant coach to David Taylor’s Oklahoma State. The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, renowned in the 57 kg weight class, Thomas Gilman, left Pennsylvania for Stillwater to become the assistant coach for the Cowboys back in May 2024. And here we are, nearly a year later. “That door opened back up, and I wasn’t sure it was ever going to… They opened that door back up, and I’m not going to let them down again.” Yep, Gilman is once again back with the Nittany Lions.

Amidst a fierce rivalry, two powerhouse programs, and a world-class athlete-cum-coach caught between familiar comfort and ambitious change, Thomas Gilman provides some clarity. And he revealed it on the Baschamania podcast, stating the reasons behind the bold move! Let’s just he did not hold back while pulling the curtain down for his brief time with the Cowboys.

Well, locker room tensions were just the beginning of the ongoing issues. Issues that seemed to persist since day one. While Gilman did not spill any specific details about the problems he was having, his comments were suggestive of an incompatible working relationship between himself and the Cowboys. “Right when we got down here, it seemed like, there was issues,” he stated. But was it a clash of philosophies or simply a vibe that never clicked? It’s his quick exit from OSU that said a lot.

He continued, “Were they with me? Were they with the staff? I think that everybody is at fault. I’m not going to point fingers… I think that it was mutual.” But Gilman also added that this wasn’t some festering problem. “There are no hard feelings… You can have a disagreement and move on and still be fine.”

But here’s a twist. Despite all the shake-ups, and the Cowboys losing one of their assistant coaches to Penn State, David Taylor and co. haven’t wasted their time simply healing their wounds. Instead, the page for their next chapter has been turned and placed with a fresh potential. How? By bringing in a new member of the coaching staff for their RTC!

Another coach joins David Taylor’s crew

This time it’s the Cowboys RTC who are benefiting from a new addition. The news came in via the RTC’s Instagram page, with a post that welcomed to the team former wrestler, now coach Zoheir El Ouarraqe! Yes, the French wrestler has now officially become a developmental coach for the Cowboys. “Congratulations coach Zo on being formally named Developmental Coach of the Cowboy RTC!,” read the welcome message on the Instagram post.

Another great step to ensure the shaping of the next generation of Oklahoma State talent? Likely, considering El Ouarraqe’s technical mind and international experience. It’s not just NCAA wrestling; David Taylor is transforming the RTC too by recruiting top talent like El Ouarraqe and wrestler Zahid Valencia.

It was only a few years ago when El Ouarraqe declared, “My goal is to have 10 Daton Fixes or 20 of them. We have great wrestlers, a great program, and a lot of people love wrestling here. I want to help make Oklahoma State great again.” Now that’s exactly what the Cowboys need at this point. The will to go toe-to-toe with Penn State and other collegiate wrestling clubs and really cement the David Taylor era.

After all, it’s El Ouarraqe’s passion and vision that align perfectly with what Taylor has envisioned so far—reshaping the OSU wrestling identity from the ground up! And let’s not forget that he’s not new to Stillwater—he participated in a training camp held by John Smith in 2015 and joined up with the Cowboys a couple of years later, becoming Daton Fix’s training partner.

But let’s admit it. With all these new additions and a lot brewing in Stillwater, David Taylor still has a long way to go before he can begin to seriously challenge the Cael Sanderson dynasty. But with the new season inching closer, all eyes will be on OSU. Can Taylor recreate the magic of his debut season? Can he improve upon it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.