John Smith - what it took to become the best, matches with Randy Lewis, and more…

Hi 👋

Welcome to Week #31 of the Wrestling Snacks newsletter.

On Monday night, Oklahoma State AD Chad Weiberg announced David Taylor as the new head coach of the Oklahoma State wrestling program. I won't lie, I did not see this coming at all. When whispers began circulating about the AD flying to Happy Valley to meet with DT, the possibility started to form in my mind. I assumed he would turn down the job, but with the news breaking, I was pretty surprised. The more I think about it, the more I absolutely love what just happened.

#1: DT is a superstar in our sport. Big news like this, with big names being hired to coach at legendary programs, is so good for our sport. #2: DT is a legend and one of the all-time greats. Oklahoma State just gained tens of thousands of new fans overnight who are eager to see what he can do at the coaching level. I’d be willing to bet sales have spike dramatically for Oklahoma State Wrestling gear. We all know his capabilities as an athlete. Seeing him become a legendary coach would be great to watch. #3: This is a monumental hire, similar to Dan Gable heading to Iowa and Cael Sanderson to Penn State. I like moments like this.

The stage is set for all of us wrestling fans to watch, observe, and enjoy. Will this turn into a disaster, or will it play out as the Oklahoma State AD and boosters hoped?

Only time will tell, and I'm excited to watch this unfold.

Let’s GO 💪

News Bites

• David Taylor Named Oklahoma State Wrestling Coach

• Taylor Adds Kennedy, Gilman to Cowboy Wrestling Staff

• A.J. Schopp announced Head Assistant at Edinboro

• Lou Rosselli Joins Pittsburgh Staff

• 2024 World Olympic Games Qualifier Schedule And Brackets

• Michigan All-American Cameron Amine Enters The Transfer Portal

• Rylan Rogers commits to Lehigh

• USA Wrestling job opportunity - Events Operations Assistant

• WWE Releases Gable Steveson

Snacks

This weeks snacks come from an interview I found with John Smith: 2X Olympic Gold Medalist, 4X World Champion, 2X NCAA National Champion. During his time as head coach at Oklahoma State they won 5 NCAA National team titles.

Take a moment to listen to this 11 minute chat that’s filled with goodies and gold: