Oklahoma State Coach David Taylor Makes Championship Series at U.S. World Team Trials

David Taylor’s comeback has been a success so far.

Taylor, Oklahoma State’s wrestling coach, made it to the best-of-three championship series at 92 kilograms at the United States Senior World Team Trials after winning four matches on Saturday. He will wrestle World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia in the championship series at 10 a.m. Sunday. The winner will represent the U.S. at the Senior World Championships in Tirana, Albania on Oct. 28-31.

Taylor, the 1 seed at 92 kg, won his first three matches with a pair of pins and a technical fall. He then beat Trent Hidlay 10-6 in the semifinals to secure a spot in the finals.

Win No. 1 for Cowboy David Taylor!#GoPokes l @CowboyRTC pic.twitter.com/jKnhXr5emf

— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) September 14, 2024

Taylor was the biggest news throughout the wrestling world this week after OSU announced Taylor had registered to compete at the U.S. World Team Trials, ending his short-lived retirement. Taylor became the Cowboys’ head coach on May 6, accepting his first college coaching job to replace John Smith after his retirement.

“My journey as a competitor is done, but my journey as a coach is just starting,” Taylor said at his introduction news conference.

Taylor, famously nicknamed Magic Man, is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Penn State and U.S. history. He won a gold medal at 86 kg at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. He upended defending Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani in the finals. Overall, Taylor has four world championships since 2018, including that Olympic gold. He failed to qualify to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after Aaron Brooks upset Taylor in the finals of the United States Olympic Team Trials in April.

Before his international career, Taylor won a pair of individual NCAA titles at Penn State in 2012 and 2014 and was also awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy twice. He beat OSU’s Tyler Caldwell 6-0 in the 165-pound championship match in 2014 to finish his college career. Taylor was a four-time NCAA finalist and four-time Big Ten champion. The Nittany Lions also won a national championship every season Taylor competed. Taylor was 134-3 during his college career.

Former Cowboy Daton Fix also made the semifinals at 61 kg but lost to high school phenom Marcus Blaze 3-2.