Penn State wrestling legend David Taylor officially named head coach of Oklahoma State

One of the greatest Penn State athletes of all-time has ditched his blue and white for orange and black.

David Taylor was named the head coach of Oklahoma State wrestling Monday night. He will replace five-time national champ John Smith, who retired in early April.

Taylor joins the Cowboys after spending his entire college career and post-collegiate career under Cael Sanderson as a Nittany Lion and a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. He won two national titles in college along with twice winning the Hodge Trophy — college wrestling’s version of the Heisman Trophy. He then went on to win an Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The now-former Nittany Lion lost in the 2024 Olympic Team Trials to fellow Penn Stater Aaron Brooks.

He’s had ties to the area beyond his work with the NLWC, as well. Taylor opened and runs the M2 Training Center — a wrestling training center in Pleasant Gap — where plenty of Penn Staters have honed their skills on the mat.

While Taylor will take over, historically, one of the top programs in the country, he has no formal collegiate coaching experience.

“Forever grateful for my Penn State family, I am looking forward to this new chapter with @CowboyWrestling @OSUAthletics,” Taylor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.