Is a contract extension being discussed for Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson following David Taylor's big deal?
INDIANAPOLIS — The biggest news in college wrestling this offseason is that Penn State alum and Olympic champ David Taylor is now the head coach at Oklahoma State. Running a close second, however, is how much the Cowboys are paying him. The Oklahoman reported this week that the Big 12 program lured Taylor away from State College with a six-year deal that “will pay Taylor $7.45 million in all, opening with a $1 million annual base salary in his first year, plus $30,000 raises each year,” the outlet said.
While not all college wrestling coaches have publically available contracts, it is believed to be the biggest deal in the sport. And, that has made many within ‘Nittany Nation’ wonder if the Lions will need to start paying the legendary Sanderson more, even if they don’t know what he’s being paid in the first place. His last contract extension took place in 2022. Details were not disclosed.
“I haven’t talked to him since that came out,” Kraft said Tuesday ahead of Big Ten Football Media Days here. “In fact, I chuckled when I saw that. To be honest, [Cael and his staff] are locked and loaded for Paris [and the Olympics]. We talk all the time. He is so focused on what is important right now. We’ll continue talking. Everyone knows how I feel about Cael.
“We haven’t talked about a contract extension. If he wanted to talk about a contract extension today, we would talk about a contract extension. He isn’t wired that way, which is such an amazing trait that he has. He is solely focused.”
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Kraft has made no secret his admiration for Sanderson, his staff, and the program they have built. It has come up frequently during his short tenure in State College. While the athletic department has long made the head football coach’s contract public, it only recently started releasing similar figures for its men’s basketball program. All others remain out of public eye, and unless state or federal legislation causes that to change, it likely never will.
It should be noted that the Penn State wrestling program is well taken care of both by the athletic department and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and its Olympic Regional Training Center program. If you ever spent any time talking to Sanderson, he might be the last person on Earth you’d think was worried about where his salary ranked nationally. As long as the resources are there to continue building and sustaining the dynasty he created, that seems like enough.
As for Taylor moving on, Kraft had this to say:
“We’re happy for David. One of ours. But, I’m just going to tell you, we’re the best wrestling program in the world. They can have whoever they want. Good luck, David. Second place is cool. But, [claps], Penn State wrestling.”
