Big 12

David Taylor Hired As Next Oklahoma State Head Wrestling Coach

David Taylor Hired As Next Oklahoma State Head Wrestling Coach

Olympic gold medalist David Taylor will take over for the Cowboys after 33 years under legend John Smith.

May 7, 2024 by JD Rader
David Taylor Hired As Next Oklahoma State Head Wrestling Coach

In a potential monumental move, Oklahoma State has announced David Taylor as the next head coach of the Cowboy wrestling program. 

Taylor was lured away from his alma mater, Penn State, where he has spent the past 15 years training and competing. As an athlete at Penn State, Taylor was a 2X national champion, 2X Hodge Trophy winner, and 4X NCAA finalist winner while helping the Nittany Lions win in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Post college Taylor continued to train in State College, where he became a 3X World champion, 2021 Olympic champion, and arguably the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world.

Taylor is the first new head wrestling coach for the Cowboys in 33 years. Under legendary coach John Smith the Cowboys won five NCAA Division I national team titles, with titles coming in 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, and had 33 individual national champions.