Takedown Report

David Taylor is positioned to dominate college wrestling’s future

David Taylor completed his first semester as the Oklahoma State wrestling coach, and his grades are posted. He earned straight A’s with a team title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, the second-ranked recruiting class and an undefeated dual record – topped with a 34-9 win over No. 7 Virginia Tech Thursday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The possibilities for the next decade of his career are as enticing for OSU as they are concerning for the rest of the country.
Seven months before his 34th birthday, Taylor was given the enviable position to coach the winningest program in NCAA history and the unenviable task to follow John Smith.
Sources have told the News Press that Smith fully intended and expected his replacement to be chosen from within, and Smith said he coached a few extra years to set the program up for success. Instead, Taylor was hired and had to earn the team and the fanbase’s confidence as a coach.
He has swiftly done that in the best way possible: by being himself. And the team has taken on the aggressive identity of its coach. “We’re just looking to score the whole time up and down the lineup,” Luke Surber said. “Coach Smith wanted to score, too. But what we’re doing is a little bit different.”
Last season, the Cowboys scored more than 31 team points in one dual. This season, they have yet to score fewer than 32 team points. Smith deserves a lot of credit for the team’s strong finish in the spring leading to its strong start in the fall. “Our guys that have been there and had success at the national tournament – their aura, their demeanor, their work ethic – is super valuable for some of the younger guys on our team,” Taylor said.
But Taylor’s coaching has clearly unlocked something extra in wrestlers such as Troy Spratley, Tagen Jamison, Luke Surber and transfers Dean Hamiti and Wyatt Hendrickson. Especially after Hamiti destroyed No. 4 Lennox Wolak, it would not be surprising to see him win the national title, and that was unexpected when he committed to OSU. … more at … https://www.stwnewspress.com/sports/in-the-loop-david-taylor-is-positioned-to-dominate-college-wrestlings-future/article_fb2ccacc-bea9-11ef-8be9-03c589b71f4b.html

December 30, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | results, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment