Clair Oleen, M.S. Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Head Men's Basketball Team oleenc@bethanylb.edu Ext. 8176 Physical Education

Coach R. Clair Oleen is now in his tenth year at the helm of the men’s basketball program, and this is his 24th basketball season at Bethany and his 22nd as a head coach.
Coach Oleen was the men’s basketball assistant coach in 1979-80 and 1980-81, when the Swedes garnered two KCAC championship titles. He then took over the leadership of the women’s basketball program, amassing a 208-123 record in twelve seasons (1981-93). During his tenure there were ten NAIA playoff appearances and numerous national rankings, as the program attained national prominence. 
Oleen has brought the same dynamic and effective leadership to the men’s program. He continues to demonstrate the same personal, caring and knowledgeable concern for the welfare of each of the young men in the Swede basketball program. His work and persistence have paid off, as the Swedes have been in the upper echelon of the KCAC in recent seasons and are becoming nationally prominent. The 1998-99 team and the 1999-2000 teams both won the KCAC post-season tournaments and received bids to the NAIA National Tournament. 
Coach Oleen enters the 2002-03 season with a 324-268 career head coaching record at Bethany (both men and women), in 21 seasons - women 1981-93 record 208-123, and men 1993-02 record 116-145. 
The Bethany men Swedes are back on track in the early going of this 2002-03 season. Coach Oleen continually insists that the reason for all the Bethany wins over the years is the fact that he has been blessed with good players, good people, and good assistant coaches.
As a player, Coach Oleen was a two-year starter and a captain at Barton County Community College, before he joined the Swedes at Bethany. In a Swede uniform he earned All-KCAC, All-District 10 of NAIA, and All-Lutheran honors nationally. He was a BC co-captain for the 1976-77 KCAC co-champion team, while he also received the Most Valuable Swede award. Following his college playing days, Oleen received numerous AAU basketball awards including induction into the Kansas Independent Basketball Tournament Hall of Fame. 
He received the B.A. degree in 1977 from Bethany College, and the M.S. in physical education from Kansas State University.
Clair and his wife Jerrine have two adult children: Nathan and Andrea.