Oklahoma State University offering rookie coach David Taylor $6.5 million for six years raised a lot of eyebrows in 2024. After all, Taylor had a disastrous Olympic Team Trials, going from defending champion to losing his national team spot to Aaron Brooks. However, just one season later, the 2024 world bronze medalist has filled the script, deservedly earning his million-dollar salary.

The 34-year-old has definitely looked like the right successor to John Smith. The former Olympic champion didn’t just take OSU to the top three in the National Championships; he drew the fans to Gallagher-Iba Arena in a way OSU hasn’t seen in years. “Last year, not only did we have the most season tickets sold in Cowboy Wrestling history, but we also broke the attendance record,” Taylor said on X.

However, Cowboy Wrestling’s head coach didn’t just pop in to congratulate the fans for helping them make history. He appeared in OSU’s season ticket sale announcement to urge the fans to break last year’s record. “This year, we want to re-break both those records, and this is where we need your help. Tomorrow, our new season tickets go on sale,” David Taylor told the fans.

“We also have an awesome home schedule this year, and we have a lot of momentum off last season, and we’re really excited for this upcoming season. And the best way you can help our program is to come to our dual meets,” Taylor urged the fans in the official video on X. Last year, they sold out their reserve tickets as well, and they hope this year won’t be any different.

The result of those massive sales showed up in the average attendance. David Taylor’s boys drew an average of 7,597 people, which was a whopping 30% increase from the 2023-24 season. What’s more? The fans helped break the OSU record with two fewer duals at home. However, having a busier season isn’t the only reason why OSU may break its current records in the upcoming season.

Exciting times for David Taylor’s Cowboys

While many in the wrestling community doubted how much impact Taylor would have, the fans chose to trust the former Penn State wrestling icon. The Olympian rewarded them by improving OSU’s standings and winning the national championship title in multiple categories. In fact, Wyatt Hendrickson absolutely shocked the NCAA world when he spoiled Gable Steveson’s epic comeback in the 285 lbs final.

As if that wasn’t enough to heed David Taylor’s call, the head coach has shown just how much potential the Cowboys have right now. From young recruits to seasoned seniors, the Cowboys have recently made headlines at the US World Team Trials and Fargo. Recruits Rocklin Zinkin, Dreshaun Ross, Kellen Wolbert, and Jordyn Raney just made a huge splash at Fargo.

Zinkin won the 120 lbs gold, while heavyweight Dreshaun Ross also earned a gold. However, the most interesting result came in the 138 lbs final: Kellen Wolbert and Jordyn Raney, who are both Cowboy recruits, battled for gold at 138 lbs. The barn burner ended with Raney winning gold and Wolbert settling for silver. And let’s not forget the boys bound for the world championship.

Rin Sakamoto (57 kg/125 lbs), Roman Bravo-Young (57 kg/125 lbs), Jax Forrest (61 kg/135 lbs), Zahid Valencia (86 kg/190 lbs), and Wyatt Hendrickson (285 lbs) have all booked their 2025 Wrestling World Championship tickets. So it may be safe to assume that the fans’ faith in David Taylor has only increased.