Bobby Douglas Celebration of Life

Former athletes, friends and colleagues are invited to attend A Celebration of Life of Iowa State Hall-of-Famer Bobby Douglas, one of the most accomplished figures in wrestling history.

The Bobby Douglas Celebration of Life will take place Sunday, Oct. 4^th from 1-3 p.m. at Johnny's in the Scheman Building (west of Hilton Coliseum).

Coach Douglas, who passed away in February, was a true pioneer in the sport of wrestling, and his service to USA Wrestling was second to none. A two-time Olympian (1964 and 1968), Douglas was the first black U.S. Olympic wrestler. As a coach, he was head coach for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1992, directing the team to six medals, including four golds. He was an assistant coach on six U.S. Olympic teams (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2004).

Douglas directed the Iowa State wrestling program from 1992-2006, winning 198 matches. In his 14 seasons with the Cyclones, Douglas coached 52 All-America performances and tutored seven wrestlers who won 10 individual national championships. His Cyclone teams were just as successful. Seven times ISU finished in the top-6 at the NCAA Championship, including three runner-up finishes (1996, 2000, 2002). Douglas was twice named Big Eight/12 Coach of the Year (1993, 2000), was the 2000 NWCA National Coach of the Year and the USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year in 2004.

Event Details
Date: Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026
Time: 1-3 p.m. (Remarks Beginning at 1:30 p.m.)
Location: Johnny's second floor of Scheman Building
Address: 1805 Centre Dr., Ames, IA 50010
Parking: Lot B-1

This event is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, email athpremium@iastate.edu

To RSVP, click here.

Iowa State University Athletics

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