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05 Nov 2019
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November 5, 2019 Ryan Warner

#70 Bobby Douglas – 2x Olympian, NCAA Champion Coach, Cael’s Coach

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Bobby Douglas 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. 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, 11–1, 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 NAIS Hall of Fame in 1985, 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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