Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Wrestling Mourns the Loss of Bobby Douglas
February 25, 2026 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State mourns the loss of former wrestler Bobby Douglas, who passed away this week at the age of 83.
One of the most important figures in wrestling history, Douglas was the first black American to wrestle in the Olympics, the first to captain our Olympic team and the first to coach wrestling at a major university.
From a small town in eastern Ohio, and a small college in West Virginia, he rose to become a dominant athlete of the 1960s, earning national and international acclaim.
He won two state high school titles and was all-state in football and baseball. He emerged on the national scene as a 1962 NAIA champion for West Liberty State. A year later, he reached the NCAA finals, and his 13-8 matchup with the defending champion from a larger school was a classic. Transferring to Oklahoma State, he won the Big Eight in 1965, but was knocked out of the national tournament by injury, closing his collegiate career at 72-2.
It was in the international styles where Douglas earned worldwide renown for his knowledge of the sport and his technical skills, which he later shared with another generation as coach, author and clinician. He won three national Freestyle titles and represented the United States on two Olympic teams, placing fourth in 1964, and six World teams, winning a silver, a bronze and a fourth place finish. He was captain of the '68 Olympic team and his career record was 303 victories, 17 defeats.
He became head wrestling coach at UC Santa Barbara in 1973. A year later, he moved to Arizona State, which he led to the only NCAA team trophy won by a western school. Douglas also launched the Sunkist Kids club on a long series of national Freestyle championships. He moved on to Iowa State and maintained its great tradition. He was an assistant coach for 10 World and Olympic Teams, was World Cup coach in 1987 and Olympic coach in 1992.
In 1987, Douglas was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the highest honor a U.S. wrestler can achieve outside of the competition mats. He is also a member of the NAIA Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, the Ohio Hall of Fame and the Arizona State Hall of Fame.
He was also the 2005 recipient of the Gallagher Award, which is presented annually to the OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions.
One of the most important figures in wrestling history, Douglas was the first black American to wrestle in the Olympics, the first to captain our Olympic team and the first to coach wrestling at a major university.
From a small town in eastern Ohio, and a small college in West Virginia, he rose to become a dominant athlete of the 1960s, earning national and international acclaim.
He won two state high school titles and was all-state in football and baseball. He emerged on the national scene as a 1962 NAIA champion for West Liberty State. A year later, he reached the NCAA finals, and his 13-8 matchup with the defending champion from a larger school was a classic. Transferring to Oklahoma State, he won the Big Eight in 1965, but was knocked out of the national tournament by injury, closing his collegiate career at 72-2.
It was in the international styles where Douglas earned worldwide renown for his knowledge of the sport and his technical skills, which he later shared with another generation as coach, author and clinician. He won three national Freestyle titles and represented the United States on two Olympic teams, placing fourth in 1964, and six World teams, winning a silver, a bronze and a fourth place finish. He was captain of the '68 Olympic team and his career record was 303 victories, 17 defeats.
He became head wrestling coach at UC Santa Barbara in 1973. A year later, he moved to Arizona State, which he led to the only NCAA team trophy won by a western school. Douglas also launched the Sunkist Kids club on a long series of national Freestyle championships. He moved on to Iowa State and maintained its great tradition. He was an assistant coach for 10 World and Olympic Teams, was World Cup coach in 1987 and Olympic coach in 1992.
In 1987, Douglas was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the highest honor a U.S. wrestler can achieve outside of the competition mats. He is also a member of the NAIA Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, the Ohio Hall of Fame and the Arizona State Hall of Fame.
He was also the 2005 recipient of the Gallagher Award, which is presented annually to the OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions.
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