I'll be following along and posting updates here. If you want to watch, it can be streamed here on YouTube:
Updates from David Taylor's Oklahoma State introductory news conference
- Thread starter GregPickel
- Start date
Off to a roaring start. This was to be yesterday but delayed due to mechanical issues. Now five minutes delayed this morning and counting.
Alright, we're off and running. Oklahoma State AD Chad Weiberg is kicking things off: "We had a very good option here and I felt good about that. But this job has only been open eight times in its history. We had to do the due diligence it deserved and I was transparent about it. We had to make sure we did everything we could to find the next great leader, so we began the process that led us here."
Weiberg: "As I told the team, the hardest decisions to make are when you have several great options, but you can only pick one. We had a lot of interest in this position with a lot of great options. But one of the names I kept hearing was David Taylor. But David was still training for the Olympic Trials so he did not seem like he would be an option anytime soon. While the wrestling world was at the Trails, our process paused. Then, the unexpected happen. I talked to David and then we visited him in State College. With an Olympic gold medal and four world championships, he is among the greatest wrestlers of all time."
David Taylor is up: "I want to thank my dad. As a young kid, he wanted to make the best for me. He didn't know what it meant. He knew it meant to get me out of my comfort zone."
Taylor: "This has been a tough decision. ... I told the team, it's a very tough situation. When I was a senior in high school, I was going to Iowa State, and coach Cael Sanderson took a job at Penn State, and I was in a weird limbo. I thought I wanted to follow him but I wasn't sure. Coach Kevin Jackson got the job [at Iowa State] and let me pursued what was in my heart, and that kind of changed wrestling."
Taylor: "This is a tough challenge. It is one of the most uncomfortable decisions I've ever made. The best results come from being uncomfortable. And, I don't want to lose in anything I do. I'm very excited for what's ahead. I want to surroubdn myself with people who believe in what we're trying to do. My brother in law, Jimmy Kennedy, is our associate head coach and are going to be pouring into these kids. Thomas Gilman, we just finished our competition careers. They're people who are selfless. To be a great coach, you have to serve your athletes, and they're willing to do that. When building a staff it's important to have coaches who are going to wrestle with the guys. We're going to wrestle and help you guys understand what it feels like to be the best in the world, in the country, and that's exciting."
Taylor: "In my decision to go to Penn State, I felt it was the best thing for me, and I developed so many deep relationships there and it set the foundation for who I am as a man, a father and a wrestler. I am forever grateful for everyone who is part of my life there. It was a tough decison to leave, but this is the best decision for me and my family moving forward. Oklahoma State is a place where every single recruit wants to go to school, and now, we're at the top of the list."
Taylor talking about building up the OKST RTC. "We have to coach. It's important for people to see what it's like, the training, and what it takes. ... The RTC is our foundation."
Sound familiar?
Also, Daton Fix is staying at the Oklahoma State RTC, which I think was previously reported.
Sound familiar?
Also, Daton Fix is staying at the Oklahoma State RTC, which I think was previously reported.
"It's about scoring points and having fun. Wrestling is already hard. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. Make it fun. Make it enjoyable. Score more points. And if you're up by one, keep scoring. We're going to work to score points. We're going to have a system."
Q&A time. What changed to end up at OKST besides the Trial results?
Taylor: I love coaching. I love wrestling. I spent the last seven years building up the M2 Training Center. In a short period of time, we became the one of the best training facilities in the country. ... I was in the barn, in the back, and I got a call, and I'm like, missed call from Oklahoma? It's the athletic director. I need to call him back. And Oklahoma State is one of those things where, it doesn't matter what you're doing, life goes on pause, and you're going to think. That's what changed. It's a place I'm excited to be at. I was at the first real cross roads of my life in a long time. This is a time to take a break and see what's next. I'm excited for the opportunity."
Taylor: I love coaching. I love wrestling. I spent the last seven years building up the M2 Training Center. In a short period of time, we became the one of the best training facilities in the country. ... I was in the barn, in the back, and I got a call, and I'm like, missed call from Oklahoma? It's the athletic director. I need to call him back. And Oklahoma State is one of those things where, it doesn't matter what you're doing, life goes on pause, and you're going to think. That's what changed. It's a place I'm excited to be at. I was at the first real cross roads of my life in a long time. This is a time to take a break and see what's next. I'm excited for the opportunity."
On staff plans:
It's something we're considering and taking it on a case by case basis and seeing what's best fitting for the progam. As we figure something out, we'll let you know.
It's something we're considering and taking it on a case by case basis and seeing what's best fitting for the progam. As we figure something out, we'll let you know.
On Cael Sanderson's impact on his life and transporting the secret sauce PSU has come up with to OKST:
"The coaching staff at Penn State, they are a much deeper connection than just my coaches. They were my family. They instilled so many things into me. They helped me understand a bigger picture of how to live your life to the best of your ability, and as an athlet,e how to maximize your opportunities. It's a blend of a lot of things. Each coach was different. It's tough. This was one of the toughest couple days of my life. I cried a lot. But being uncomfortable is something that creates really good things, and I think we're going to create our own little magic down here."
"The coaching staff at Penn State, they are a much deeper connection than just my coaches. They were my family. They instilled so many things into me. They helped me understand a bigger picture of how to live your life to the best of your ability, and as an athlet,e how to maximize your opportunities. It's a blend of a lot of things. Each coach was different. It's tough. This was one of the toughest couple days of my life. I cried a lot. But being uncomfortable is something that creates really good things, and I think we're going to create our own little magic down here."
On the hiring process
"He left me a voicemail, and I called him back, and we exchanged a couple text messages, and it was pretty simple. I said I'm interested in the right situation and the right resources and a program that can win. After a couple of conversations I realized it was that opportunity. We continued to talk through things, and it's been great. I thought this was a special place, and I realized quickly this is an athletic director that believes in wrestling. It's an exciting opportunity. And I'm extremely grateful."
"He left me a voicemail, and I called him back, and we exchanged a couple text messages, and it was pretty simple. I said I'm interested in the right situation and the right resources and a program that can win. After a couple of conversations I realized it was that opportunity. We continued to talk through things, and it's been great. I thought this was a special place, and I realized quickly this is an athletic director that believes in wrestling. It's an exciting opportunity. And I'm extremely grateful."
Taylor on going from athlete to coach now:
"I knew in 2024 that this was going to be it for me as a competitor. After 2021, it was really difficult. Every decision I made throughout my life was to be an Olympic champion. It took a little bit longer to be an Olympic champion than what I thought. I had to keep working. I graduated college and I thought I'm the best and this is just going to happen. I wasn't. I started losing at that point in my life than I did ever. Again, being uncomfortable. I'm going to double down, fill the gaps, and get better. I started to have some success, won my first world championship at 28. Then I got hurt, missed a year, the Olympics were delayed, then I won, and that time [after] was very taxing on me. I had achieved everything I wanted. My inner fire started to dwindle a little bit. And, it showed. But I believe in my performance at the Trials. I'm at peace with it. I did everything I wanted to in my career. I'm not at peace with losing. But at some point, what are you chasing when you've done everything you want to do? In losing, it's going to help me be a better coach, because I can relate. I loved coaching and realized as my career came to an end, I wanted to pour into the next generation of kids, and I feel this is the best way to do that. Hopefully we can leave wrestling a better place when my journey is done. My journey as a competitor is over but my journey as a coach is just getting started."
"I knew in 2024 that this was going to be it for me as a competitor. After 2021, it was really difficult. Every decision I made throughout my life was to be an Olympic champion. It took a little bit longer to be an Olympic champion than what I thought. I had to keep working. I graduated college and I thought I'm the best and this is just going to happen. I wasn't. I started losing at that point in my life than I did ever. Again, being uncomfortable. I'm going to double down, fill the gaps, and get better. I started to have some success, won my first world championship at 28. Then I got hurt, missed a year, the Olympics were delayed, then I won, and that time [after] was very taxing on me. I had achieved everything I wanted. My inner fire started to dwindle a little bit. And, it showed. But I believe in my performance at the Trials. I'm at peace with it. I did everything I wanted to in my career. I'm not at peace with losing. But at some point, what are you chasing when you've done everything you want to do? In losing, it's going to help me be a better coach, because I can relate. I loved coaching and realized as my career came to an end, I wanted to pour into the next generation of kids, and I feel this is the best way to do that. Hopefully we can leave wrestling a better place when my journey is done. My journey as a competitor is over but my journey as a coach is just getting started."
On timeline for getting settled in OKST
We're working through it right now. We need to be down here for the guys on the team. We're working on what that looks like and closing the loops back home. A lot of these guys are getting ready for U20 and 23. We want to help them. Daton is helping. Tyler Caldwell is helping. We have things that we want to do, but we want to be respectful to the guys who are getting ready to compete. We're continuing to work on that."
We're working through it right now. We need to be down here for the guys on the team. We're working on what that looks like and closing the loops back home. A lot of these guys are getting ready for U20 and 23. We want to help them. Daton is helping. Tyler Caldwell is helping. We have things that we want to do, but we want to be respectful to the guys who are getting ready to compete. We're continuing to work on that."
He's a stud and gets it. He'll get the OK youth fired up and he's got a ton of energy to unleash.
Hard not to feel bad for the guy.
"Oklahoma State is a place where every single recruit wants to go to school, and now, we're at the top of the list."
David, all Penn State fans "love" you and wish you a lot of success. However, we also hope that Cael and company make it very hard to achieve what that statement boldly proclaims.
David, all Penn State fans "love" you and wish you a lot of success. However, we also hope that Cael and company make it very hard to achieve what that statement boldly proclaims.
Maybe I missed it but was there any note of updated plans for the M2 Training Center in State College.? From reading the above David was not as motivated this year after winning gold in the prior Olympics. Saying that not sure anyone else but Aaron Brooks who has been wrestling in top competition regularly and appears to be peaking at an extreme level may have been the only wrestler who would have beat him at the Olympic trials.
What are the chances he ends up in Happy Valley in some capacity between the PSU staff or the NLWC? Or is he set on another HC job? While there is no shortage of PSU alumni that could fill in adequately on the PSU/NLWC staff, Coleman is a proven commodity.
Someone thought it could be a good move to consider asking Coleman Scott to come and interview with the NLWC, but after reading his post about the ox being slow but the earth is patient, I was trying to reconcile from which of the Good Books this came from, perhaps the Apocrypha..? Other than that, he’d fit right in with the current staff at PSU.
. Seriously, I wish he and his family nothing but future success and happiness
I watched a few minutes of the press conference, but the entirety of the above “bonus interview”…sounds like he has a good plan…essentially replicating what he has learned from Cael and Co.
You can see the raw emotion when talking about the decision to leave SC… I think he took the plunge because he knew another opportunity this good may not come around for a long time,,, but I think it would have been easier for him if he had had a year for the dust to settle and the smoke to clear after his competitive career ended.
He was very clear that M2 is “Coach Mark”’s gig now.
David with a recruiting statement. Yes hate to say it but they are the enemy now. They will rise quick
Love for Cael to get Coleman Scott on staff. Jax Forrest and Bo Bassett are very close with him.
I wish him Godspeed… straight up to #2…and then stay there!
To my understanding that is true… but I believe they are also close with Dave…they would likely feel torn.
I’m pretty certain they attended M2 as well, so they are probably pretty close with Taylor also.
Well, he is a PA guy. Maybe that would have at least a little bit of allure.Someone thought it could be a good move to consider asking Coleman Scott to come and interview with the NLWC, but after reading his post about the ox being slow but the earth is patient, I was trying to reconcile from which of the Good Books this came from, perhaps the Apocrypha..? Other than that, he’d fit right in with the current staff at PSU.
Seriously, I wish he and his family nothing but future success and happiness
Yes they did. Just know that Forrest was leaning toward Okla State because of Coleman Scott. Will just have to see how things play out. It’s gonna be a dog fight with them in a couple years.
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