John Smith Signed Off on David Taylor, But He Never Intended to Pick His Successor

STILLWATER – The time line wasn’t completely known, but now it is. We knew and reported that Oklahoma State athletics director Chad Weiberg was on a plane onThursday, May 2 bound for State College, Pa. We now know that the plane belongs to Paycom CEO and owner Chad Richison and they met with David Taylor and his wife, Kendra. The husband and wife team of entrepreneurs looked at Oklahoma State and the opportunity and liked what they saw. 

Taylor, who has had a supporter in Richison saw the chance to build his one college wrestling empire at a place where they’ve done it before and where there is appreciation for the sport. 

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David Taylor

At the same time, that Chad Weiberg and Chad Richison were pursuing the new Oklahoma State head coach, the former coach was staying out of the way. So many former championship coaches have either suggested, ranging in strength, or they’ve insisted on who the successor should be. John Smith has that kind of pull. He did not promise Coleman Scott he would be the next head coach, but everybody seemingly in the Oklahoma State wrestling family felt that way. 

Smith would have loved for that to happen, but the two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and six-time World Champion and winningest coach in the history of the winningest sports program in college history didn’t presume to step in. Instead we now know Smith was apprised of the situation with Chad Richison and his financial backing and desire for Olympic Gold Medalist and four-time World Champion David Taylor to move to Oklahoma and get the job.

“Hiring David Taylor is a grand slam,” is the reaction that I’ve had several people inside Oklahoma State athletics tell me that Smith had to the proposition.

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John Smith (left) and Coleman Scott (right)

Then as the final details were worked out and Weiberg told Scott that Oklahoma State “was going a different direction” Smith and his wife were in New Mexico on a short vacation for some turkey hunting and fly fishing. 

“Well, you know, uh, it is kind of the time whne you grieve a little bit,” Smith answered when asked what he had said to Scott and to the other longer tenured assistant coach Chris Perry. “A little disappointed and you have to get over that before you really have conversations. I haven’t had a lot of conversations with them. Some short ones, so I don’t think it is time for them to think about anything but taking care of themselves.” 

Those were Smith’s comments on the day of the Taylor news conference. Smith knew a couple of things. He knew firsthand what that competitive success, recent as in winning gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a World Championship as recently as 2023, is dominating in recruiting wrestling talent. He also knew of the financial commitment with Richison. 

“It’s exciting,” Smith said of the scenario with Taylor as head coach. “It’s what you hope for. These guys are good — got a plan. They’re good. It’s gonna be a fun journey watching them …  while I’m retired. Just impressive. You heard Coach DT, he was sincere, knows how to win, knows how to deliver it. We got a great coach.

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Winning Gold is a big enhancer for coaching wrestlers.

“Their message today was strong. Really strong,” Smith added. “I think we all, after listening to the press conference, we’re all going, ‘Hey, this is in good hands.’ It’s in good hands. For me, coaching 33 years, that’s all you want. I want him to be a better coach than I was. I think Chad Weiberg is committed like no other A.D. I’ve ever had. Honestly. He wants to win. He wants to create the best scenario for Oklahoma State wrestling. There’s pride in what the program’s done and he took the responsibility to go through the process of trying to go find the best coach for Oklahoma State.”

Strong statement from Smith, which also said a lot about the frustration Smith had with the previous athletic director in Mike Holder that did little for the sport.

All is well now. Smith politely refrained from trying to dictate the future. He will do his best to help his staffers in the future. They have a heckuva reference in John Smith. He will support the new head coach, but do it at a distance. John Smith is comfortable in his retirement and happy his beloved sport is in good shape moving forward.