Doug Blubaugh
December 31, 1934 - May 16, 2011
In the shadowed ruins of Rome's ancient Basilica, Doug Blubaugh battled the world champion from Iran for the Olympic gold medal. Emam-Ali Habibi had never known defeat.
Three times the Persian attacked, each time throwing the young American into danger. Then a swift counterattack from Blubaugh hurled his opponent to his back ... suddenly the struggle was ended.
Thus did an Oklahoma farm boy reach the apex of a brilliant athletic career, earning the 1960 Olympic gold medal at 160.5 pounds, and with it recognition as the outstanding wrestler in the world.
Doug Blubaugh was no stranger to the role of champion. He won NCAA honors for Oklahoma State in 1957 and National AAU Freestyle titles in 1957, when he was named outstanding wrestler, and 1959.
A year before his Olympic conquest, he won a gold medal in the 1959 Pan American Games at Chicago, matching the 1955 achievement of his brother, Jack. They were the first brothers to capture Pan Am titles.
Blubaugh is remembered, too, for his epic struggles with a former college teammate, Phil Kinyon. Over four years of Freestyle competition, they met 13 times. The first 12 bouts ended in draws, 11 scoreless. Five of these were in the 1960 Olympic trials, before Blubaugh crashed through for the takedown and victory that sent him on to Olympic glory.
From a competitive career totaling more than 400 victories against just 17 defeats, Blubaugh turned to coaching and won added respect for his teaching skills and his honesty and dedication. After seven years as an assistant at Michigan State, during which he was Freestyle coach of U. S. teams in the 1971 Pan American Games and World Championships, he spent a decade as head coach at Indiana University.
As a champion athlete of awesome achievement, and as a living example to young men of the highest standards of character and integrity, Douglas Morlan Blubaugh is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Awards:
Year
1979
|
Award
Distinguished Member
|
Chapter/Region
National
|
All American Awards:
Season
1957
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
157
|
Place
1
|
Season
1956
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
157
|
Place
2
|
Season
1955
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
147
|
Place
3
|
College Season Records:
Season
1957
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Senior
|
Bouts
12
|
Wins
12
|
Losses
0
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
2
|
Win PCT.
100
|
Place
1st
|
Season
1956
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Junior
|
Bouts
10
|
Wins
8
|
Losses
2
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
80
|
Place
2nd
|
Season
1955
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Sophomore
|
Bouts
9
|
Wins
7
|
Losses
1
|
Ties
1
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
77.78
|
Place
3rd
|
Season
Career
|
Bouts
31
|
Wins
27
|
Losses
3
|
Ties
1
|
Falls
2
|
Win PCT.
87.1
|
All Coaching Dual Records:
Season
1984
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
19
|
Wins
2
|
Losses
17
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
10.53
|
Season
1983
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
22
|
Wins
9
|
Losses
12
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
40.91
|
Season
1982
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
23
|
Wins
11
|
Losses
12
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
47.83
|
Season
1981
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
21
|
Wins
14
|
Losses
6
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
66.67
|
Season
1980
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
25
|
Wins
15
|
Losses
9
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
60
|
Season
1979
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
20
|
Wins
10
|
Losses
10
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
50
|
Season
1978
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
15
|
Wins
6
|
Losses
9
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
40
|
Season
1977
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
18
|
Wins
10
|
Losses
8
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
55.56
|
Season
1976
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
25
|
Wins
11
|
Losses
12
|
Ties
2
|
Win PCT.
44
|
Season
1975
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
27
|
Wins
6
|
Losses
20
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
22.22
|
Season
1974
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
28
|
Wins
4
|
Losses
22
|
Ties
2
|
Win PCT.
14.29
|
Season
1973
|
School
Indiana
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
12
|
Wins
4
|
Losses
8
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
33.33
|
Season
Career
|
Duals
255
|
Wins
102
|
Losses
145
|
Ties
8
|
Win PCT.
40
|
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