Clyde Bean

1993 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

May 25, 1929 – May 20, 2016

Clyde Bean had limited access to wrestling but made his mark as a coach. Lloyd Wilson started the wrestling program at McKinley High School in Cedar Rapids when Clyde was a senior, 1946-47. He enrolled at Iowa State Teachers College in the fall of 1948 and wrestled three years for Dave McCuskey. As a sophomore he wrestled at 145 pounds, and as a junior and senior he wrestled at 137 pounds. The highest he placed was third in the 1951 AAU Nationals

His teaching and coaching career started at West Union in 1952. In 1956 he moved to Iowa City where he continued to teach and coach at City High in Iowa City until his retirement in 1991. This completed 39 years of teaching and coaching as head wrestling coach. He also was head football coach at City High for 12 years, 1968-1980.

Clyde Bean’s wrestling teams went 268 wins 125 losses and 17 ties in duel meets. City High had 17 state champions, 57 place winners, and 64 more state qualifiers under his tutelage.

He is a member of the Iowa High school Football Coaches Hall of Fame, the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame, and was named Coach of the Year in 1984.