By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling

COLORADO SPRINGS – David Taylor, who was the Ohio and National winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2009, has been named the 2025 USA Wrestling Terry McCann Men’s Freestyle Coach of the Year. This is the first time Taylor has won the prestigious honor.

Taylor (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC) is the head men’s wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University and coaches athletes with the Cowboy Regional Training Center based in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Three members of the 2025 Senior World Team came out of the Cowboy RTC—Jax Forrest at 61 kg, Zahid Valencia at 86 kg and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg. Valencia followed in Taylor’s footsteps by winning a gold medal at the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, with one of the most dominant performances by an American at the event. Forrest navigated to a bronze medal match and finished in fifth place while still in high school. Hendrickson finished in 17th place in his first Senior Worlds appearance. Two other Cowboy RTC athletes qualified for the Senior National Team by placing in the top three of their weight classes—Joey McKenna at 65 kg and DJ Hamiti at 79 kg.

On the age-group levels, Taylor helped coach Forrest to a gold medal at the 2025 U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, and Ladarion Lockett to a fifth-place finish at the 2025 U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria.

During the 2024-25 college season, Taylor led Oklahoma State to a third-place finish at the NCAA Division I Championships, with two individual champions (Hamiti, Hendrickson) and six All-Americans in his first year as head coach of the Cowboys. He followed it up with a runner-up team finish at the 2026 NCAA Division I Championships, with a record three freshman champions (Forrest, Sergio Vega, Landon Robideau) and eight All-Americans.

Taylor is a 2020 Olympic champion and three-time Senior World champion (2018, 2022, 2023) at 86 kg for the United States. He also earned a World silver medal in 2021 and a World bronze medal in 2024, his last competitive appearance. Taylor was named United World Wrestling Freestyle Wrestler of the Year in 2018. A four-time U.S. Open champion, Taylor was also a three-time Pan American Championships gold medalist. He is a three-time winner of the USA Wrestling John Smith Men’s Freestyle Wrestler of the Year award.

Taylor was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist for Penn State. He was the winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy twice as the nation’s best college wrestler. Taylor won a bronze medal at the 2013 University World Games. A native of St. Paris, Ohio, Taylor claimed four Ohio state titles for Graham High School.

Taylor was presented the 2025 USA Wrestling Terry McCann Men’s Freestyle Coach of the Year award at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships.

Terry McCann Men’s Freestyle Coach of the Year Award Winners 

2025 – David Taylor, Stillwater, Okla., Cowboy RTC

2024 - Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC

2023 – Jake Varner, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC

2022 - Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC

2021 - Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC

2020 - No award (COVID-19)

2019 – Reece Humphrey, Dayton, N.J., New Jersey RTC

2018 - Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC

2017 - Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC and Bryan Snyder, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC

2016 - Lou Rosselli, Norman, Okla., New York AC

2015 – Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC

2014 – Terry Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC

2013 - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC

2012 – Cael Sanderson, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC

2011 – Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids

2010 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC

2009 – John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Gator WC

2008 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC

2007 - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC

2006 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC

2005 - Mike Duroe, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye TC

2004 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids

2003 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC

2002 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC

2001 - Zeke Jones, Morgantown, W.Va., Sunkist Kids

2000 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids

1999 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club

1998 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids

1997 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club

1996 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach

1995 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach

1994 - Gene Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo., Athletes In Action

1993 - Joe Seay, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sunkist Kids

1992 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids