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Awards
Bobby Douglas
Distinguished Member
Class Of 1987 | | The Making of a Champion is the title of his books, and it also is the pattern of Bobby Douglas' life. 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 1962 NAIA champion for West Liberty State. A year later, he reached the NCAA finals, and his 13-8 duel with the defending champion from a larger school was a classic. Transferring to Oklahoma State, he won the Big Eight, but was knocked out of the 1965 nationals 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 would share 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. He was captain of the '68 Olympic team and his career record was 303 victories, 17 defeats.
He became head wrestling coach at 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.
He 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. He showed, by example, that others could reach such goals.
As a wrestler of notable achievement, and as an outstanding teacher and leader, Bobby Eddie Douglas is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. |
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