David Taylor kicked off his first season as head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2024–25, and it was a huge success, surpassing even the highest hopes. Taylor took over the role left by the legendary John Smith and guided his team to an impressive 13–1 dual meet record, which included a strong sweep of the Big 12 title. He led the Cowboys to a solid third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, with six wrestlers snagging All-America honors and two of them—Dean Hamiti (174 lb) and Wyatt Hendrickson (285 lb)—taking home individual national titles.
Thanks to his leadership, Oklahoma State really broke attendance records at Gallagher-Iba Arena, bringing in an average crowd of 7,597 fans, which is about a 30% jump. David Taylor had an incredible first year, and it definitely caught some attention, leading him to snag the 2025 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year award from Open Mat. He really made a difference, not just on the mat. With his Olympic and world-championship background, he brought new life to a legendary program.
“What I realized yesterday was that it looked like family. These kids look like they really care about each other, which is awesome. And we’re gonna continue to build on that and moving forward,” Taylor said when he was announced as the head coach of the Cowboys last year, and he eventually proved his words. That competitive vibe really showed in bringing in fresh talent and landing the No. 2 class for 2025, and it looks like there’s even more exciting momentum building for the next round.
Taylor’s breakout season really shines through with the success of his Cowboy RTC wrestlers, who are making a name for themselves internationally. On X, The Lower Single shared that the current World Teamers are Rin Sakamoto (57 kg), Roman Bravo-Young (57 kg), Jax Forrest (61 kg), Zahid Valencia (86 kg), and Wyatt Hendrickson (285 lb).
Forrest, Valencia, and Hendrickson are all set to wear Team USA jerseys at the World Championships in Zagreb. Meanwhile, Sakamoto and RBY will be representing Japan and Mexico, respectively.
Cowboy World Teamers:
Rin Sakamoto
RBY
Jax Forrest
Zahid Valencia
Wyatt Hendrickson
*Side note: Cowboy RTC could still have one more World Team member.
— The Low Single (@TheLowSingle) July 14, 2025
With Taylor guiding them, these athletes are all about a bigger dream: bringing five world titles back to Stillwater and outperforming other USA clubs. The core five—Sakamoto, RBY, Forrest, Valencia, and Hendrickson—are the ones that Oklahoma State wrestling fans are really counting on. So, how are the wrestlers doing with Taylor’s guidance?
Excelling under David Taylor
In October 2024, Zahid Valencia made a big move by leaving Arizona State to join David Taylor’s Cowboy RTC in Stillwater. This decision was all about enhancing his mental and tactical game. Ahead of his match with Kyle Drake at Final X, he talked about Taylor’s coaching, saying, “Yeah, you know, just scenarios that we do in the wrestling room, even though you’re up against some of the guys, David’s another one. Even when the guys are going full, they’re not doing anything.”
With Taylor’s guidance, Valencia has developed a fresh mindset focused on discipline and staying calm. He talked about focusing on “lockdown defense” and figuring out how to handle emotions when things get tense, with some help from Taylor and the top-notch training partners at RTC. So, what were the results?
Valencia secured his spot on the 2025 U.S. World Team by taking down Dake in a best-of-three Final X series at 86 kg. He won the first match with a score of 5–3 and then followed it up with a 4–1 victory in the second match, wrapping up the series with a 2–0 win. By winning both matches, Valencia really showed off some great technique and smart tactics, plus a strong mindset in finishing each match decisively. His 2–0 sweep really shows he’s ready to take on the world stage, and now he gets the chance to represent Team USA at the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb.
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