Ahead of the Big 12 Wrestling Championship, not many expected Oklahoma State to emerge victorious. But, David Taylor‘s Cowboys had the attitude of the winners in Tulsa. The home team was tied with Northern Iowa at 149.5 points apiece following which Wyatt Hendrickson won his bout to hand Oklahoma the title. After this victory, former UFC Champion, Daniel Cormier shared a wonderful moment about their former coach, John Smith, while criticizing the fans.
During the Championship, Smith was present in the stands and cheered wholeheartedly for his former team. Further, Cormier took to his official Twitter handle and shared a picture of Smith celebrating the Cowboys’ Big 12 Championship title. Impressed by the loyalty and enthusiasm of the legendary coach, Cormier took a shot at the fans who wanted him to retire last year.
The former UFC Champion wrote, “This is the best! @CowboyWrestling fan John Smith. Happy coach is enjoying himself in retirement right where you’d expect him to be. Congrats on big 12 title cowboys !!!”
This is the best! @CowboyWrestling fan John Smith. Happy coach is enjoying himself in retirement right where you’d expect him to be. Congrats on big 12 title cowboys !!! pic.twitter.com/DdIHZAXRHV
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) March 11, 2025
Smith called time on his illustrious coaching career with Oklahoma State in April last year. He spent a whopping 33 years with them during which Smith helped the University win 5 NCAA team championships and 33 NCAA individual championships. Without a doubt, he was the most decorated coach at this level, something which would be tough to replicate in the years to come.
Even as Smith admitted that it was his decision to retire, Oklahoma State loyalists wanted a change in the coaching team, with the results not going their way toward the end of Smith’s tenure. As a result, Cornier took a shot at them after spotting that Smith still has the same enthusiasm and loyalty for the Cowboys as during his coaching days. Smith was replaced by David Taylor, who has delivered a stunning win in his first year as the Cowboys’ head coach. Later, Smith broke his silence on why he decided to call time on his illustrious career last year.
Succeeded by David Taylor, Smith on his retirement: ‘Wasn’t in good shape’
Interestingly, Smith is the longest-serving coach in Oklahoma State Wrestling history and only trails James Wadley (men’s tennis) and Henry Iba (men’s basketball) as the longest-serving coaches in the University’s history. But, after 33 long years in the dugout, he felt that the time had come for him to hang up his boots.
Making an honest revelation after his retirement, Smith said, “I wasn’t in good shape two years ago. Wasn’t in good shape a year ago, mentally. When you coach a long time — not everybody gets to do that. I got to do it when I wrestled. I got to walk away being an Olympic gold medalist. And I get to walk away today feeling complete that my career is complete. I’m walking away from coaching.”
Despite being a monumental task to fill in Smith’s shoes, David Taylor has made just the right start by helping his team win the Big 12 Wrestling Championship. While this may be just the beginning, Taylor still has a long way to go as far as matching Smith’s records are concerned.
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