David Taylor named WIN’s Dan Gable Men’s Coach of the Year

Photo: David Taylor celebrated with true freshman Jax Forrest after the 133-pounder claimed a national title just months removed from competing in high school wrestling matches. Photo by Sam Janicki.

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Annual Awards Issue, which published May 5, 2026.

By Tristan Warner

For David Taylor, the blueprint didn’t require time … just belief.

In only his second season as head coach at Oklahoma State, Taylor has been named WIN Magazine’s 2026 Dan Gable Coach of the Year after engineering one of the most remarkable runs in recent NCAA wrestling history. Behind a fearless, youth-driven lineup, the Cowboys crowned three true freshmen national champions and finished runner-up as a team to Penn State at the 2026 NCAA DI Men’s Championships in Cleveland.

“We had an awesome tournament,” Taylor said after the NCAAs. “The progress we are making as a young team … it was a pretty awesome season. We are going to keep getting better.”

The first of three true freshmen to win titles on March 21, Sergio Vega, not only did not surrender a single takedown all season but also became the first undefeated true freshman champ since 1947.

Then came Landon Robideau, who paid no mind to his fifth-seed designation. The Cowboy rookie, hailing from Minnesota, took out Penn State’s top-seeded PJ Duke in the semis before avenging an earlier-season loss to defending national champion Antrell Taylor of Nebraska in the finals.

And then Jax Forrest, fresh off an early high school graduation, enrolled at Oklahoma State a semester ahead of schedule — skipping the traditional timeline entirely — and didn’t just adjust, but thrived. By March, he stood atop the podium as an NCAA champion, validating both his accelerated path and Taylor’s willingness to trust young talent in high-pressure moments.

Taylor and his staff also guided redshirt freshman Cody Merrill to an NCAA finals appearance at 197 pounds as a No. 7 seed, where the California native became the only wrestler of the season to wrestle a full seven-minute match against Penn State’s Josh Barr without surrendering bonus points.

The statement Taylor is making early on in his tenure in Stillwater is reverberating loudly across the collegiate wrestling landscape: the best guys will wrestle regardless of youthfulness. Rather than easing freshmen into the lineup, Taylor placed them directly into the fire and equipped them to handle it.

“We had a very young team with nine new guys in the lineup. The guys who won need to make progress and the guys who didn’t win need to make progress.”

Taylor himself also made some adjustments in year two, and he clearly does not exclude himself from the hungry group of doers who are constantly looking to improve.

“Last year was so fast and it was all new. This year I had a lot more expectation of what the season was going to look like. I tried to stay present and enjoy every moment. This stuff comes and goes so fast, and that is what I kept telling the team.”

And the Cowboys have strung together back-to-back star-studded recruiting classes that only crowd the roster with World-level talent.

Oklahoma State’s runner-up finish added another layer to the story. In a season where Penn State once again set the standard atop the podium, the Cowboys closed the gap behind a lineup that, in many cases, is just getting started.

“We have to score some more points,” Taylor said when asked about trying to catch Penn State, his alma mater. “What Penn State has built is incredible. You’re talking about the best team in history, but what we’re putting together is a great team. We have a very strong nucleus of guys who really believe, and we have a lot of high-character kids. We will keep the momentum rolling, but it doesn’t happen overnight. We will keep getting better.”

That reality is what makes Taylor’s impact even more significant. This wasn’t a veteran-laden roster making one final push. It was a glimpse into what could be the foundation of the next powerhouse era in Stillwater. And it came together quickly.

Gable was very impressed with how quickly Taylor has made the transition from athlete to coach.

“David Taylor, wow! They had quite a year … he’s helping youngsters develop mentally that quick. I’m sure they fed off of each other but it’s historic. He’s paid a heavy price and it shows!”

Taylor, a 2021 Olympic gold medalist and one of the most accomplished wrestlers of his generation, has translated his competitive mindset into a coaching style that resonates with today’s athletes. His ability to connect, develop and trust young wrestlers has already begun reshaping Oklahoma State’s trajectory.

In just two seasons, he has proven that success doesn’t have to wait. And in 2026, no coach embraced that shift more effectively than Taylor.