Historic contract details for Penn State wrestling icon David Taylor made public

We are now learning more details behind the monumental move made by Penn State wrestling great David Taylor to leave the NLWC and Happy Valley for the head coaching position at Oklahoma State this spring. According to new reports released this weekend, the Cowboys made a historic offer to the former Nittany Lion and Olympic Gold Medalist.

First reported by Pistols Firing on Friday, Taylor’s contract at Oklahoma State runs for six years and is worth $6.45 million. The deal, signed by Taylor and the university administration this week, was made available on the Tusla World’s state employee salary database for Oklahoma.

The ex-Penn State wrestling star will make $1 million this season, followed by $30,000 annual raises. Taylor’s salary in the final year of the deal, 2029-30, will be $1.15 million.

The contract also includes a $1 million one-time payment and performance incentives ranging from a $10,000 bonus for every individual NCAA Champion to a $125,000 add-on for a team title.

He will also receive benefits such as a golf course membership, Cowboys football tickets, and a luxury suite and tickets for Oklahoma State wrestling duals.

With the details now public, David Taylor is now believed to be the highest-paid coach in college wrestling. Of course, the details of Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson’s contract are not public.

Along with its officers and directors, Penn State does disclose the salaries of its top 25 highest-paid employees as part of its annual Right-to-Know Law Report. Sanderson was not among those 25 employees for the most recent report, released in May for fiscal year 2022-23. The cutoff for that list was $491,006.

The benchmark used for David Taylor is Iowa’s Tom Brands. The Hawkeyes’ head coach will make $700,000 this upcoming season and $800,000 in the final year of his deal in 2028-29.

Kraft: Sanderson, Penn State wrestling “don’t let anything get in the way”

Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Although just inking a contract extension in 2022, if Cael Sanderson wanted to use David Taylor’s historic contract as evidence for a pay raise, he’d be more than justified. And from the sound of it, Nittany Lions athletic director Pat Kraft wouldn’t need much convincing.

In an interview recently released on the Big Ten Network, Kraft emphatically praised the Penn State wrestling program.

“I think they are relentless. It is one of the most remarkable programs I’ve ever been around. Cael and Casey [Cunningham] and Cody [Sanderson] and the staff; I mean how it operates is truly remarkable.

“All jokes aside, there is no satisfaction there. They got back after winning the National Championship and went right back in the weight room on Monday. There is a laser focus to continue to get better. I think that’s part of what we’re talking about, is that grind to constantly evolve and get better and better.

“And they are the epitome of that, and they don’t let anything get in the way. And they continue to do it in just such an amazing way. They’re like this all the time, and it is just kind of process-oriented. They’re just going to keep doing this and doing this and doing this.”

Standing atop the college wrestling world for the third straight year in March, Penn State wrestling has won 11 of the last 13 National Championships. If they capture the title again in 2025, Sanderson and the Nittany Lions will become the second program ever to claim three separate four-peats (2011-14, 2016-19).

A member of Sanderson’s first four-peat run, David Taylor’s new employer, Oklahoma State, is the only program to have accomplished the feat.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation! Please follow us on all of our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube) and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media.