Jare T. Klein

Few have achieved the winning success of Jare Klein, who took on a struggling intercollegiate team at Olivet College in 1968 and went on to win 569 dual matches against only 116 losses, turning out 16 All Americans, numerous Academic All Americans and a number of wrestling coaches.

His body of work, spanning a half century, has landed him in the NCAA Division III Hall of Fame and earned him countless awards. Just as importantly, Klein became one of the most respected faculty members on the Olivet campus. Even in retirement, he helps young men at Marshall High School in the wrestling room.

In 29 years as Head Coach, Klein’s teams at Olivet consistently ranked within the NCAA top twenty ratings and dominated the region’s small college wrestling championships. Coach Klein’s Comet wrestlers captured 10 league titles in fifteen years and produced an unbelievable 58 individual champions, five of who were named Most Valuable wrestlers within the league.

Klein was selected on ten separate occasions to serve as a coach for the USA National Wrestling teams that traveled throughout the world in various competitions. Moreover, he has been a leader among national coaches and wrestling policy setters. Today, some 50 of his former wrestlers can be found among the ranks of high school and college coaches.

Klein earned his Bachelors degree (1957) and Masters degree (1961) from Western Michigan University.