Penn State wrestling pod: One Lion pushes for Olympics, another confirms return
The Penn State wrestling offseason might be upon us, but the Nittany Lions have made plenty of news on and off the mat during the two months between winning another NCAA title and today. The Blue-White Illustrated wrestling show and podcast returns to cover it all.
In the latest episode, host Thomas Frank Carr and reporter Greg Pickel start by covering the big news that started the week: Lions legend David Taylor is taking the Oklahoma State job. He was officially announced as the next leader of the Cowboys on Monday night and will be introduced at a news conference in Stillwater at 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.
“It’s an honor to be in this position and I’m extremely grateful,” Taylor said in a released statement. “I’m looking forward to the future of Oklahoma State wrestling. It has an unbelievable tradition and I’m excited to be part of it moving forward. I’ve achieved everything I have wanted in my personal career, and this is no longer about me. I am just thrilled to be in the position to help others achieve their goals, and truly make an impact in the wrestling world and on the lives around me.”
Added Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg:
We began this search knowing there is no goal that is unattainable for Cowboy Wrestling. No expectations are too high. The ambitions we have for ourselves led us to the hiring of David Taylor, someone of equally high goals and ambitions.”
More: On Penn State alum David Taylor’s new job and what it means for the Lions, college wrestling
What are the short- and long-term impacts of Taylor taking his first head coaching job on Penn State and college wrestling at large? Pickel and Carr discuss. From there, they dive into Carter Starocci returning. This episode was recorded prior to Greg Kerkvliet announcing his return. So, while that is touched on by the duo, it will be discussed in full during next week’s episode. The same goes for Jimmy Kennedy officially leaving the Lions to become Taylor’s associate head coach at Oklahoma State.
From there, Carr and Pickel discuss Zain Retherford’s chances of qualifying for the 2024 summer Olympic Games. He can do so at this weekend’s World Olympic Games qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey. The brackets are out. Retherford does not have an easy path. But, he is still a favorite to finish in the top three. That would qualify him for a trip to Paris, France.
You can watch this week’s show in video player above and also on YouTube. Or, you can listen at your favorite destinations for audio like SPOTIFY and APPLE.
