OSU Wrestling: Tyler Caldwell to Remain on Coaching Staff

There will be an Oklahoma State alum and familiar face on the new regime of Cowboy Wrestling under David Taylor.

OSU announced Monday that Tyler Caldwell will remain on the coaching staff as an assistant. Caldwell coached under John Smith the past seven seasons. He joined as recruiting coordinator in 2017 as the first to hold that position on Smith’s staff. After six years as recruiting coordinator, Caldwell was promoted to assistant coach this past season, with fellow former OSU wrestler Gary Wayne Harding taking his spot as recruiting coordinator.

Bryan Pearsall is the recruiting coordinator under Taylor, who has also added Jimmy Kennedy as associate head coach and Thomas Gilman as an assistant. Caldwell should be the last man added to Taylor’s new staff in his first season as a head coach.

“I could not be more excited to have Tyler on our staff,” Taylor said in OSU’s release. “It was clear to me after meeting with Tyler that our visions for the program align. His knowledge of the sport, diligent work ethic and longtime dedication to the program will be invaluable as we move forward into this next chapter of Cowboy wrestling.”

Before his coaching career began, Caldwell was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA finalist between stops in Norman and Stillwater. He transferred across Bedlam lines to OSU ahead of his junior campaign and won an individual Big 12 title both of his seasons with the Cowboys while amassing a 63-9 record in America’s Brightest Orange. He was 126-29 overall in his career. Caldwell actually lost to Taylor in his last collegiate match in the NCAA finals in 2014.

Caldwell was a volunteer assistant at West Virginia for one season before going back to OSU. In Caldwell’s final stint as recruiting coordinator with OSU, the Cowboys had the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, including top pound-for-pound prospect Christian Carroll. Then, in his first season as an assistant, OSU was 14-1 in duals and jumped inside the top 10 at the NCAA Wrestling Championships with a pair of finalists.

Top transfer portal prospect Wyatt Hendrickson announced Sunday his commitment to the Cowboys on Barn Session Podcast and specifically mentioned his relationship with Caldwell and him staying as a reason for his decision, especially after visiting Stillwater before Taylor was named head coach. Both Caldwell and Hendrickson are Kansas natives.