Doug Blubaugh to be inducted into Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame

STILLWATER – Legendary Oklahoma State wrestler Doug Blubaugh will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2017 induction class, it was announced on Tuesday.

Blubaugh is one of six inductees for this year’s class that also includes OSU basketball great Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, Oklahoma decathlete Jeff Bennett, professional baseball player Bill Greason, University of Central Oklahoma wrestling coach David James and Oklahoma quarterback Jason White.

He was a 1953 graduate of Ponca City High School.

Blubaugh won the 1960 Olympic gold medal at 160.5 pounds, as well as recognition as the outstanding wrestler in the world. Collegiately, Blubaugh won an NCAA individual title and three All-America honors for Oklahoma State in 1957, and National AAU Freestyle titles in 1957 and 1959.

A year before his Olympic run, he won a gold medal in the 1959 Pan-American Games in Chicago, matching the 1955 achievement of his brother, Jack. They were the first brothers to capture Pan-Am titles.

From a competitive career totaling more than 400 victories against just 17 defeats, Blubaugh turned to coaching. After seven years as an assistant at Michigan State, during which he was Freestyle coach of United States teams in the 1971 Pan-American Games and World Championships, he spent a decade as head coach at Indiana University. Blubaugh was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1979.

Blubaugh died in May 2011 after a vehicle accident at the age of 76.

The induction ceremony for this year’s class will be held Aug. 14 at the Riverwind Showplace Theatre in Norman, Okla.