Big 12

Tyler Caldwell To Remain As Assistant Coach At Oklahoma State

Tyler Caldwell To Remain As Assistant Coach At Oklahoma State

David Taylor has decided to keep at least one former Cowboy staff member in Stillwater.

May 20, 2024 by JD Rader
Tyler Caldwell To Remain As Assistant Coach At Oklahoma State

David Taylor will be keeping Tyler Caldwell on staff at Oklahoma State as an assistant coach. After spending six years under the official title of recruiting coordinator, last season was Caldwell's first as an assistant. 

While beginning his competitive collegiate career at Oklahoma, Caldwell spent his final two years at Oklahoma State where he went 63-9, was a 2X Big 12 champion, and 2X NCAA finalist.

While former associate head coach Coleman Scott has publicly announced he will no longer be apart of the program, this has been the only other announcement as it pertains to the former Cowboy staff.

Read the full press release below.

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head wrestling coach David Taylor announced Monday that former Cowboy Tyler Caldwell will remain with the program as an assistant coach.

"I could not be more excited to have Tyler on our staff," Taylor said. "It was clear to me after meeting with Tyler that our visions for the program align. His knowledge of the sport, diligent work ethic and longtime dedication to the program will be invaluable as we move forward into this next chapter of Cowboy wrestling."

Caldwell recently wrapped up his seventh year on staff at Oklahoma State and first as an assistant coach after spending the previous six seasons as the program's recruiting coordinator.

His first season as an assistant saw Dustin Plott and Daton Fix each finish as a national runner-up, while Izzak Olejnik placed fifth at 165 pounds to give OSU its most placers since 2021. The Cowboys excelled in dual competition throughout the regular season with wins in their first 14 duals, three of which coming against top-five teams as part of OSU's nation-leading 12 ranked victories on the year. The 2024 squad also set the program's attendance average record with 5,871 fans per dual and hosted its first sellout at Gallagher-Iba Arena in five years. Oklahoma State would go on to finish second at the Big 12 Championships with 141.5 points, most by a runner-up in league history.

While serving as recruiting coordinator, Oklahoma State consistently signed classes ranked top-five nationally. In Caldwell's final season in the role, the Cowboys inked the top-ranked class that was highlighted by top pound-for-pound wrestler Christian Carroll. He also played a major role in the Cowboys' 2020 class, which was ranked first in the country and consisted of the No. 1 overall recruit.

Caldwell also spent time as a volunteer assistant at West Virginia prior to joining the staff in Stillwater.

As a collegiate wrestler, Caldwell transferred to OSU ahead of the 2013 campaign following a stint at the University of Oklahoma. Earning All-America honors in all four years of his career, Caldwell was a two-time finalist and finished his career a with a 126-29 record, including a 63-9 mark at OSU. He also won a Big 12 title in both of his seasons as a Cowboy while securing bonus points in over 40% of his matches.

A Wichita, Kan., native, Caldwell has been a part of the Cowboy wrestling program for over a decade.