Bobby Douglas

Bobby Douglas
Jackie and Bobby Douglas in 2006
Personal information
Born (1942-03-27) March 27, 1942 (age 82)
Bellaire, Ohio, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight150 lb (68 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportWrestling
Event(s)Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Folkstyle
College teamOklahoma State
West Liberty State
ClubMichigan Wrestling Club[1]
TeamUSA
Coached byMyron Roderick
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1966 Toledo 63 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Edmonton 68 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing West Liberty State
NAIA Championships
Gold medal – first place 1962 Winona 130 lb
NCAA Division I Championships
Silver medal – second place 1963 Kent 130 lb
Representing the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Big Eight Championships
Gold medal – first place 1965 Norman 147 lb

Robert Edward Douglas (born March 27, 1942) is a retired American freestyle wrestler and coach. He competed as a featherweight at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and placed fourth in 1964. He won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1966 and 1970 world championships, respectively,[2] and retired later in 1970. After that Douglas coached several U.S Olympic teams, is one of only four collegiate coaches to win more than 400 dual meets, and he won an NCAA team national title at Arizona State in 1988. His coaching accomplishments include: 13 NCAA champions, 110 All-America performances, and 68 conference titles.

Douglas added to his legacy by coaching Cael Sanderson to a gold medal in the 185-pound weight class at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Douglas was named the 2004 USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year. In January 2005, Douglas was honored with the Edward Clark Gallagher Award, which is presented annually to the Oklahoma State University wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions. He also received the 2005 Iowa State Alumni Association Impact Award.[3]

In 1968, Douglas defeated Dan Gable 11–1 in a freestyle wrestling match during the Olympic Trials in Ames, Iowa while Gable's only defeat in folkstyle wrestling in high school and college came in the NCAA finals of his senior year at Iowa State in 1970 to Larry Owings. Douglas was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1985, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1987,[4] the Arizona Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999, the Dan Brands Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Ovac Hall of Fame in 2004. In his career, he has coached many Olympians who placed in the top three in the world. He coached the Iowa State wrestling team for many years before stepping down in favor of Cael Sanderson in 2006.

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  4. ^ Bobby Douglas. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 19, 2022.