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David Taylor, head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team, has expressed his support for Cowboy RTC wrestler Roman Bravo-Young as he prepares to compete in the Mongolian Ranking Series Tournament. Bravo-Young will wrestle in the 57 kg bracket in the tournament, which is slated to begin late on May 31. He will face Bekir Keser in the opening round.
David Taylor, who took over as head coach of the Cowboys in May 2024 following the retirement of legendary coach John Smith, recently shared an encouraging message for Bravo-Young on X:
“Great opportunity for Roman! Looking forward to watching him let it rip in Mongolia"
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Bravo-Young, a former standout Penn State wrestler, had won numerous accolades, including NCAA Division I National Championships at 133 pounds and four All-American honors under Cael Sanderson. He concluded his college career with an impressive 101-10 record.
Bravo-Young has also represented Mexico at the 2024 Paris Games in the 57kg freestyle wrestling category. After his collegiate career, he joined the Cowboy Regional Training Center (RTC) and secured gold at the Pan American Championships in Monterrey, Mexico, in the 57 kg category earlier this month.
The Cowboy RTC roster boasts top wrestlers, including Roman Bravo-Young, Daton Fix, Zahid Valencia, and Wyatt Hendrickson.
David Taylor opens up about his transition as OSU wrestling head coach
Olympic gold medalist David Taylor made a successful transition from an individual elite athlete to stepping into the head coach position. In his first season with the Cowboys, he led the team to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, with two individual national champions.
In a recent interview with FloWrestling, Taylor reflected on his coaching journey:
"I mean, it's exciting. I mean, I think, uh, if you're not doing something with expectation, then why are you doing it, you know? I think as a competitor, that's what it takes to be at the highest level. And I think as a coach, it's just the opposite—it's learning how to take that [expectation] off of your guy and help them to wrestle at their best level". (2:15 onwards)
And I think it's just communication. It's constantly learning. I think in coaching—as an athlete—you never have everything figured out. And as a coach, you certainly never have everything figured out. You just constantly [learn],” he added.
In recognition of his leadership, Taylor was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year by The Open Mat.
