Sad news for Penn State Nittany Lion Wrestling

Knop’s Knotes:
Taylor’s choice terrible for Dad., great for wrestling

David Taylor’s choice to take off State College to gotten to be the head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State is stunning to numerous, but it’s not uncommon.

Fifteen a long time back, one of the greatest names in don – a amiable figure with an Olympic gold decoration on his continue – shocked the wrestling world by taking off the college town where he had won different NCAA titles as an competitor for a chance to construct a powerhouse program in his possess picture.

Back at that point, it was Cael Sanderson who selected to take off Iowa State for the greener pastures of Penn State. It was a seismic move that brought the sport’s greatest star to its most prolific enlisting grounds. Sanderson went 159-0 and won four NCAA titles as a wrestler for the Tornados some time recently claiming Olympic gold in 2004. He resigned early from competition and rapidly got to be Iowa State’s head coach, where he created three top-five wraps up in three a long time some time recently Penn State made the contract of the century by attracting him to State College.

Within the 14 NCAA competitions since he came east – the 2020 occasion was canceled due to COVID – Sanderson’s groups have captured 11 group titles and he’s coached 38 person champions.

This past season, there was never a address of whether Penn State would win the group title (they did) but in case the Nittany Lions would break the all-time scoring record for the NCAA competition (they did that, too).

The leading college wrestlers were at Penn State – Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks each won their individual fourth NCAA titles in Walk – and the country’s best men’s free-form wrestlers were at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, which created eight of the 12 finalists in final month’s Olympic Group Trials.

Numerous of the nation’s best tall school wrestlers are as of now in Pennsylvania and, in the event that they aren’t, they can be attracted here to prepare with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club some time recently enlisting at Penn State.

Monday’s declaration that Taylor – who taken after Sanderson from Iowa State to Penn State, where he got to be a two-time NCAA winner and a key figure in Pennsylvania wrestling – is taking off for Stillwater, Oklahoma, might not alter all of that, but it likely will alter a few of it.

And that’s a great thing for wrestling in case not Pennsylvania.

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are the foremost energizing item that the wear has in this nation, but without a compelling group race, TV appraisals have dove. Penn State’s record-setting execution in Kansas City was the least-watched tournament since 2011, agreeing to FloWrestling’s Andrew Spey.

The 454,000 watchers who tuned into the championships on ESPN spoken to a 28crease in viewership from 2023.

The basic truth is, Penn State running roughshod over the field isn’t engaging for casual watchers who aren’t Nittany Lions fans. And when David doesn’t have a chance against Goliath – Penn State’s 172.5 focuses was 100 more than second-place Cornell – it’s not compelling.

Oklahoma State is one of the bluebloods of the wear – the Cowboys’ 34 group titles are 10 more than Iowa has won and 22 more than Penn State has captured – and the contract has individuals talking around wrestling in May.

When John Smith, a genuine legend of the wear, ventured down at the conclusion of the season, most expected that Waynesburg local Coleman Scott, who had cleared out the coaching position at North Carolina to be Smith’s relate head coach, was certain to rise to the beat spot.

Indeed when rumors spilled that the Cattle rustlers were attempting to charm Taylor, who has built an awfully successful M2 Wrestling Club in State College, most felt there was small chance that the Enchantment Man would leave.

Maybe Taylor, who was beaten within the Olympic Group Trials by his club partner in Brooks, was troubled with how things were playing out inside the dividers of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club wrestling room. It might have been the appeal of being sought after by the sport’s most memorable program. Or possibly it was the cash.

Most likely, it was a combination of all those things, but Taylor’s choice has the wrestling world buzzing. It was a enormous bet by the Oklahoma State organization. Taylor has small coaching encounter exterior of M2, but as one of the sport’s most well known figures, he’ll likely drag a few of the nation’s beat recruits away from Penn State and maybe take a few Nittany Lions with him when the exchange entrance opens once more.

Indeed beneath the leading of circumstances, it’s difficult to suppose him coordinating Sanderson’s accomplishments, but for each wrestling fan bored with Penn State’s dominance, it’ll be fun watching him attempt.