After finding massive success at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational, David Taylor has passed the first test as a coach with flying colors. However, it’s just the beginning as the Oklahoma State Cowboys stare at a much more hectic schedule in the coming months. Yet, the former Olympic champion is confident in the boys’ ability in the program.

Besides the packed BIG12 conference schedule, the Cowboys will go up against schools that “traditionally” don’t appear on OSU’s schedule. So when asked if Taylor was the one who set up a duel with Virginia, the coach explained that he wasn’t. “It was already in motion; the timing was already on the schedule, and you know,” said Taylor. He had no control over the rest of the schedule either.

However, David Taylor doesn’t see much of a problem with the busy schedule. “It’s been a tough first half of the semester for our team, for sure,” said the former world champion. However, the 34-year-old revealed that they had already anticipated the challenge. “We knew going into it, this is going to be a challenging time,” Coach Taylor said in the interview posted by ‘Pistols Firing’ on their YouTube channel.

However, David Taylor and the Cowboys are ready to rise to the challenge mentally. “I think our guys are getting better every week, you know. You don’t win the Nationals in December, but you definitely get better during this period,” said the Olympic gold medalist. Taylor has also planned out how the boys can tackle recovery after.

“The routine is nice. You wrestle, you come back, you recover, you get ready for the next week,” said the CKLV 2024 winning coach. And while they have to travel for away fixtures, the Cowboys will enjoy a home-ground advantage until late January. So David Taylor is actually excited instead of feeling apprehensive.

“We’re home all January, you know, which is going to be nice. Get some good training, get some good crowds here in Gallagher (Gallagher-Iba Arena),” said David Taylor. Although he didn’t show it, Taylor’s words possibly imply that he is excited to take it all in during his first season at OSU, including the challenges.

What lies ahead for David Taylor & Co.?

After winning the CKLV title for the first time in years, Taylor and the Cowboys once again showed their dominance on December 13. The OSU wrestlers won their 20th Bedlam Dual consecutively, this time against the Oklahoma Sooners. The win extended Oklahoma State’s undefeated run to 5 this season, and they handed the Sooners their first loss.

However, there’s little time to catch a break, as they’ll take on Virginia Tech on the 19th. “It’s good. It’s a tough non-conference match and will be good for both programs. I think definitely you want to be a part of duels that mean something—that matter, that move the needle,” said Taylor, expressing his excitement for the upcoming match.

However, a hectic schedule isn’t the team’s only challenge. Despite giving another stellar performance against the Sooners, critics have not hesitated to take shots at Taylor and the Cowboys. David Taylor clapped back. “Our guys prepare, and they go out expecting to score points and have success,” David Taylor said in response to those calling their run a fluke.

“It is not an accident that we go out and perform the way we do. It is what our goal is,” added the former world champion. So despite the rigors of a packed calendar, the OSU coach and his wrestlers are looking forward to proving the critics wrong. But will they succeed? Only time will tell.