Penn State Wrestling Star Calls Out David Taylor, Oklahoma State for Meet at Beaver Stadium

On Monday night, Oklahoma State announced the hiring of another Penn State legend, David Taylor, as its new coach. 

Early Tuesday afternoon, Starocci made it clear on X (formerly Twitter) that he has a specific team in mind for Penn State to wrestle in what would be the first dual meet in Beaver Stadium history.

In the same post, he also took what many will see as a shot at Taylor, who had been a part of Nittany Lion Wrestling Club for a decade after his graduation.

“I was offered a big payday too,” Starocci wrote. “I said go wipe your ass with that money. When it to money people switch like the weather. Not me. Loyalty is everything. Nothing is built without trust. PSU vs OK State in the football stadium.

He also gave an early prediction for the dual meet.

“The national champs 10 matches to 0.”

If this was indeed a shot at Taylor, this would have been the second time in the past few weeks Starocci had words for a former Olympic Gold Medalist. 

Taylor won Gold at the 2021 Summer Games in Tokoyo. At the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials, Starocci ripped 2012 Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs.

Starocci described Burroghes’ actions at the end of his semifinal match against fellow Penn State star Mitchell Mesenbrink as “sneaky.”

“He kind of like walked behind him,” Starocci said, “and Mitch’s head was down and he jammed his face. If you’re going to be a tough guy, like, just be a tough guy and have like a fair battle, you know what I mean?”

Starocci said if Burroughs had done the same thing to some of his other Penn State teammates, it would have been a different result.

“I‘m all for it,” he said. “I get the competitive nature. I just think that was a little unnecessary and stuff like that, and he knows a guy like Mitch isn’t going to retaliate. Mitch isn’t that kind of guy. So, I would like to see him do something like that to like me or Brooks or someone like that or even Beau (Bartlett) and see how tough he is then. I think it’s a whole different story. So I think he knew he was wrestling Mitch, (Mesenbrink) wasn’t going to retaliate. So, now, he wants to be a tough guy, but when the tough guys (are) around, he’s not very tough.”

Starocci didn’t mention Taylor by name and it’s also not clear what offer (s) to leave Penn State Starocci is referring to. But his post indicates that he isn’t thrilled about Oklahoma State’s coaching hire.