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Congressional Daily Record
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May 20, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
REMEMBERING ROBERT “BOBBY” DOUGLAS
Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Robert “Bobby” Edward Douglas, an Olympian, coach, mentor, and one of the most respected figures in American wrestling.
significant adversity early in life and developed the resilience and determination that would define both his athletic and coaching career. Throughout his career, he demonstrated exceptional leadership, discipline, and dedication to the athletes and communities he served.
United States at the Olympic Games, competing in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics at a time when opportunities for Black athletes in many sports remained limited. He later served as captain of the 1968 U.S. Olympic wrestling team and earned silver and bronze medals at the World Championships, establishing himself as one of the top wrestlers of his era.
college wrestling program when he was hired at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1975, he came to Arizona where he helped build Arizona State University into a national wrestling powerhouse and led the Sun Devils to the program's first and only NCAA wrestling national championship in 1988. During his 17 seasons leading the program, ASU produced 59 All-Americans, three NCAA individual champions, Olympians, and generations of student-athletes who carried forward the lessons he taught both on and off the mat. During his time at ASU, Coach Douglas was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year eight times.
University, where he accumulated 198 victories and coached 3 teams to runner-up finishes at the NCAA Championships. In 2000, he was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.
His contributions extended far beyond collegiate wrestling. Coach Douglas served for many years as a dedicated coach for USA Wrestling and later served as head coach of the 1992 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, which earned six medals at the Barcelona Olympic Games. He also served as head coach for the U.S. World Championship teams in 1989 and 1991.
collegiate wrestling coaches to win more than 400 dual matches, finishing with 427 career victories. In 1987, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member and later earned induction into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame, the Iowa State Hall of Fame, the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the West Liberty Hall of Fame.
Coach Douglas passed away on February 23, 2026, at the age of 83. His passing is a tremendous loss for Arizona, Arizona State University, and the generations of athletes and families whose lives he impacted throughout his career.
as disciplined and deeply committed to the success of his athletes. He emphasized accountability, hard work, and
after his collegiate coaching career ended through camps, clinics, and community programs in Arizona and across the country.
and commitment to young people. His legacy will continue to be felt through the athletes, coaches, and families he inspired throughout his remarkable life.
My thoughts are with his wife Jackie Davis Douglas; his son Bobby Douglas, Jr.; his former athletes and colleagues; and all those mourning his loss. We honor Coach Bobby Douglas' lifetime of achievement and celebrate the lasting impact he had on Arizona and our Nation.