Oklahoma Cowboy Legend Gives Verdict on Penn State’s David Taylor Joining As Head Coach

The wrestling world is abuzz with anticipation as Cowboy Wrestling braces for a seismic shift with the arrival of David Taylor, helming his new role as a wrestling coach. This marked the end of John Smith’s legendary 33 legendary seasons. Recently, a former Oklahoma Cowboy has spoken up about his support for David Taylor, the legendary Penn State wrestler. David Taylor has recently accepted the position of head coach at the Oklahoma State wrestling program despite being a Penn State alum.

While competing for Penn State, David Taylor was a two-time NCAA champion and three-time world champion. He became Penn State’s first Olympic gold medalist in 2020. As David Taylor wraps up his time as the mentor for Penn State’s Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, what greener pastures does he await on Oklahoma’s iron-forged wrestling mats?

David Taylor receives praise as he looks forward to a new dawn and new beginnings

Recently, Nick Purler, an OSU legend, took to X through his account, Purler Wrestling, to show his support for Penn State University’s David Taylor. Taylor is joining as head coach for Oklahoma, where his nephew Kaden Purler competes. Nick is all praises as he captioned the post, saying, “As a former Cowboy myself… I’ve been watching to see what happens. I’m sure a guy like David is going to do a tremendous job. And he’s probably the only man in America who can recruit & pull top men from Cael.” He continued by saying that David Taylor was the only 2nd man ever to lead the Cowboys, and he was not a former Cowboy.  He added, “Joe Seay was the first …Joe was my coach for the first few years and recruited me to OSU, before John took over.”

Joe Seay was an influential head coach of the Oklahoma State University wrestling program from 1985 to 1992. During his tenure, he led the Cowboys to two NCAA Division I team championships in 1989 and 1990. ​Current Oklahoma State head coach John Smith, who wrestled under Seay, mentioned that Seay brought a distinct wrestling style to the program.

Smith said, “He gave me an opportunity to be the best in the world, and it was through his coaching. More so than any attitude… I think if you think about Joe and what he did for Oklahoma State, he brought a style that hasn’t changed… it’s gotten better.“ Now, with the reins handed to David Taylor, who brings unmatched expertise and a winning strategy that promises to elevate Oklahoma to new heights, what’s in it for Oklahoma under his tutelage?

Oklahoma will emerge as a beacon of hope under David Taylor’s guidance

David Taylor has expressed his desire to bring the same winning energy of Penn State to Oklahoma State. Recently, Taylor shared his excitement on X, accompanied by the heartfelt caption, “Forever grateful for my Penn State family, I am looking forward to this new chapter with @CowboyWrestling @OSUAthletics.” Taylor’s close ties to the Penn State program may also attract top talent to join him in Stillwater. He can leverage his connections with the Nittany Lions to entice them to be a part of his vision for the Oklahoma State program.

 As a mentor for the Nittany Lions, one of Taylor’s most notable mentorship roles has been with Levi Haines. He was a Penn State sophomore fresh off an undefeated and national championship season. Haines has credited Taylor for teaching him how to wrestle and helping him develop his skills. We are sure he will continue to coach athletes at OSU in the same way. Additionally, Oklahoma has recently done very well in wrestling. The Cowboys have secured a series of impressive victories. They were especially dominating No. 5 Missouri with a 24-10 win that made this their third top-five win of the season. So, Oklahoma has a vested interest in the grand scheme of things and David Taylor is here for it.