Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson will be coaching against arguably one of the greatest he’s ever mentored, David Taylor, this week in Philadelphia, and Sanderson talked about the advice he’d give his former pupil with reporters Monday.
At PSU, Taylor won two national titles and two Hodge Trophies (wrestling’s Heisman).
ย After college, Taylor won three World Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal in 2021.ย
This May, he retired from active competition and began his coaching career by succeeding the legendary John Smith at Oklahoma State.
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This week, he’ll be coaching at his first NCAA Tournament.
So what advice does his former mentor have for him?
WHAT CAEL SAID
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Cael Sanderson
Here’s what Sanderson said about his former pupil
“I think, I mean, you’re always learning. These things are always changing. That’s part of the… these things are always changing, right? Circumstances around college sports continue to change. We’re anticipating big changes in July (expanded scholarships) and everything is kind of moving.
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Overall, Sanderson doesn’t pay much attention to Oklahoma State or anybody else.
“I don’t really keep tabs on other programs a whole lot,” he said. “I don’t… that’s just not something I’ve ever done. I don’t really enjoy doing that. We just try to focus on our guys and our program and ‘what can we do better?’
For Sanderson, sometimes it’s best for people to learn lessons on their own, which he did himself once upon a time.
“Coaching and competing are two different things,” he said, “and sometimes it can be… there’s things you learn, and I’m not going to help anyone learn lessons we learned. You kind of learn them on your own. But, yeah, I mean, we’re… even at this point, you’re getting into your career and you’re getting a little older, everything continues to change. That’s just part of the fun and part of the challenge of staying in a competitive state for long periods of time.”`
HOW’S YEAR ONE GOING?
David Taylor file photo from TeamUSA.org
So how is Year One going for David Taylor, the coach?
It’s going pretty well.
Oklahoma State won 13 of its 14 dual meets and won all nine of its Big 12 bouts, plus the Big 12 Championships earlier this month and is ranked No. 3 in the nation.
Unfortunately, this is still Penn State wrestling’s world for now, and Sanderson’s empire is a heavy favorite to win its 12th title in 14 years.
This year’s championships run Thursday, March 20, through Saturday, March 22, in Philadelphia.
