NCAA

Wrestling Legend Bobby Douglas Passes Away At 83

Wrestling Legend Bobby Douglas Passes Away At 83

Legendary former Iowa State and Arizona State coach Bobby Douglas passed away Monday at the age of 83.

Feb 25, 2026 by Andy Hamilton
Wrestling Legend Bobby Douglas Passes Away At 83

Legendary former Iowa State and Arizona State coach Bobby Douglas passed away Monday at the age of 83. 

Douglas was a two-time Olympian and two-time World medalist before he embarked on a coaching career highlighted by more than 400 dual wins and the tutelage of 13 NCAA champions. He guided Arizona State to the 1988 NCAA title before taking over at Iowa State in 1992. 

With the Cyclones, he led three teams to runner-up finishes — 1996, 2000 and 2002 — at the NCAA Championships and coached Cael Sanderson to a 159-0 record. He retired from coaching in 2006. 

As a competitor, Douglas reached the NCAA finals for West Liberty State in 1963 before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he won a Big 8 title in 1965. During the year in between, he became the first black wrestler to make a U.S. Olympic Team and finished fourth in Tokyo. He made another Olympic Team in 1968 and won a World silver in 1966 and a World bronze in 1970. 

Douglas began his coaching career at Cal-Santa Barbara in 1973 prior to taking the Arizona State job in 1975.