"A legend" - David Taylor credits former Oklahoma State coach John Smith for making the Cowboys a 'worldwide brand'

The former freestyle and folkstyle Olympian wrestler, David Taylor, has shared his thoughts on OSU’s success. He has also commented on the legacy left by John Smith and the stature of Oklahoma State University’s wrestling program.

Taylor won the gold medal in the 86 kg category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is the head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, a position that was once held by the legendary wrestler Smith. The two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, Taylor, spoke regarding the heritage of the program and also expressed his views on Smith.

“I just think it speaks a lot about the tradition of our program. Oklahoma State's brand is a worldwide brand, it's not just like Statewide, it's not Nationwide, it's a worldwide brand. Coach Smith was able to establish that with his success as a competitor and as a coach, a legend and obviously other coaches that go before that. I mean the tradition of our program is longstanding and then I think obviously, some of the excitement that we've had this. People want to come watch our team wrestle and it's exciting to be a part of a team that makes a difference in wrestling.” [8:39 onwards]

Taylor is an acclaimed wrestler who also participated in the Paris Olympics Trials. However, he was defeated by Aaron Brooks and failed to qualify. He has retired from competitive wrestling and now leads OSU’s wrestling team. Under John Smith’s tutelage, OSU won five NCAA Division I national team titles, among other accolades.

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David Taylor shared his take on the dwindling appeal of wrestling among younger generation

David Taylor at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships - Source: Getty

David Taylor left his collegiate career at Penn State as one of the most successful wrestlers in the history of the program. He gave his opinions on why the younger generation is losing interest in the sport of wrestling. He shared his thoughts in an interview with FloWrestling in January 2024.

“I just remember just like these kids like cutting so much weight, they were getting carried to the scale and they were getting incentivized with go karts and things like, 'Man if you win this tournament, I'll give you a go kart'. And the kids did, they were eight and under, and they were monsters. But by the time they were ten and under they weren't as good, and at 12 and under, they were done wrestling. People are driven in different ways, but you want to try to find your value and satisfaction by getting better rather than always performance driven.”

David Taylor emphasized the point that the upcoming generation should focus on improving themselves rather than always focusing on their performances.