David Taylor Likes Opening Weekend and His Wrestlers Being Receptive to Coaching

STILLWATER – I’m not sure what the record is for the most points scored in the first two duals for a brand new college wrestling coach. I’m sure there are wrestling afficionados out there that do know the answer. I know I wasn’t going to look it up at Oklahoma State as different coaches have inherited the program in different conditions. For example, the first ever wrestling coach at then Oklahoma A&M in 1914, A.M. Coville lost the only dual he ever coached. The next year Edward C. Gallagher took over and the dynasty began. Suffice to say that the eighth coach in school history got off to a good start this weekend. 

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Taylor watching at Utah Valley State.

David Taylor’s team started with a 38-6 win at Big 12 Conference opponent Utah Valley State and then followed up on Sunday with a 36-3 win at No. 24 Oregon State. Overall, the Cowboys were 17-3 in individual matches. They never lost by more than a decision and two of those three indivudal losses came in overtime, one in sudden death and the loss by No. 5 Cam Amine in Utah was in tiebreaker one. 

“It was good, just exciting to get the season started and now we have some data points to look at and start making improvements,” Taylor said in general on his radio show with Rex Holt. “What I was real excited about was it was not something particularly we were saying we were going to cut guys and then get takedowns. We’ve been wrestling like that in practice and sometimes when you get into competition you will resist something like that and that.  Then in first match at UVU we really challenged. We cut guys and took them down. That is going to be a real difference maker for our team if guys continue to go out and wrestle like that.”

Oh yeah, no doubt about this scoring thing. Taylor, nicknamed the “Magic Man” in his collegiate and international career was known for scoring points. He and his staff bring a different mindset from the sometime defensive style Oklahoma State has kind of become known for in more recent years. I can tell you there have been coaches and years where points were pushed. John Smith was known to press the offense, especially in postseason.

This is points, points, and more points. 

• signifies first match ever as an Oklahoma State wrestler

Taylor was very happy to see so many points being scored and in many cases repeat wrestlers handling those chores for the wrestlers wearing the orange singlets.  

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Tagen Jamison did not wrestle at Utah Valley, but scored the major in his debut at Oreton State,

“They (bonus points) are essential when you get to the conference tournaments and the national tournament,” Taylor elaborated on the 12 bonus individual wins for the Cowboys on his radio show. “Bonus points make up for additional All-Americans, so I think we have a team that can do that this year. We talked about that competitive mindset going into this weekend and guys were going out there and challenging each other you know. They are receptive to going out and continuing to score. This weekend was a good foundation point for that.”

Oklahoma State fans get their first look at the slot machine style scoreboard this coming weekend on Friday with the home opener against Wyoming and their head coach Cowboy great Mark Branch and then on Sunday hosting Arizona State.