Oklahoma State has hired Olympic gold medalist David Taylor as its wrestling coach to replace John Smith, the school said Tuesday.
Taylor, 33, won gold in the 86 kilogram category at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when he beat Iran's Hassan Yazdani. He sought another Olympic berth, but lost to Aaron Brooks in the Olympic trials finals last month and quickly turned a corner.
“It is an honor to be in this position and I am extremely grateful,” Taylor said in a statement. “I am looking forward to the future of Oklahoma State wrestling. It has an incredible tradition and I am excited to be a part of it in the future. I have accomplished everything I wanted in my personal career, and this is no longer the case. about “I'm thrilled to be in a position to help others achieve their goals and truly make an impact on the wrestling world and the lives around me.”
Taylor, a three-time world champion, is one of the most decorated wrestlers in United States history. As a college wrestler at Penn State, he won two national titles, was a four-time national finalist and twice won the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestler.
He has huge shoes to fill. Smith retired after a 33-year career that produced five NCAA team championships, 33 NCAA individual champions and 23 conference titles. Under him, Oklahoma State produced 153 All-Americans and a dual record of 490-73-6.
“Replacing a legend like John Smith is a daunting task,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said. “He has been the face of Oklahoma State wrestling for nearly four decades. In many ways, David has traveled a similar path to becoming our head coach. I know he respects and admires John and is prepared to fulfill the high expectations that we all share for this. program.”
