Former Iowa State Wrestling Coach Bobby Douglas Dead at 83

Iowa State University, as well as both the wrestling and Olympic community as a whole, lost a pillar of the sport this week.

Former Iowa State head wrestling coach Bobby Douglas died this week at the age of 83. Among a litany of accomplishments, Douglas made history as the first Black American wrestler to compete in the Olympics when he represented the United States at the 1964 Tokyo Games. His impact across multiple facets of sports must be noted.

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Bobby Douglas' Extensive Resume of Accomplishments:

A Bridgeport, OH native, Douglas coached the Iowa State Cyclones from 1993 to 2006, racking up 52 All-American performances, 10 individual NCAA titles, three runner-up NCAA finishes, and 198 dual victories. I've never been to Iowa State, but I would assume there is a hell of a trophy case and banner collection dedicated to wrestling.

In addition to representing the United States at the Olympics in 1963, where he finished fourth in the featherweight division, Douglas also captained the U.S. Olympic wrestling team at the 1968 Mexico City Games.

Prior to his time at Iowa State, Douglas began his coaching career at UC Santa Barbara in 1973. From there, he spent 18 years at Arizona State (1975 - 1992), where he led the Sun Devils to the 1988 NCAA national championship. Later, at Iowa State, with only five qualifiers during the 1995-96 season, Douglas led the Cyclones to the NCAA Championship.

Douglas was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023. He is also a member of National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame, NAIA Hall of Fame, West Liberty Hall of Fame, and Arizona State Hall of Fame, per KCRG.

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Read more about the late Bobby Douglas on KCRG's website.