Clyde Bean had limited access to wrestling but made his mark as a coach.

Lloyd Wilson started the wrestling program in 1946 at McKinley High School in Cedar Rapids when Bean was a senior.

Bean enrolled at Iowa State Teachers College in the fall of 1948 and wrestled three years for Dave McCuskey. He wrestled at 145 pounds as a sophomore and at 137 pounds as a junior and senior, placing third at the 1951 AAU Nationals.

He began his teaching and coaching career at West Union High School in 1952. Bean moved to Iowa City High School in 1956 and taught and coached there until his retirement in 1991.

Bean had a 268-125-17 dual meet record while coaching 17 state champions, 57 place-winners and 64 more state qualifiers. He was named Coach of the Year in 1984.

He was a head wrestling coach for 39 years and also spent 12 years as head football coach.

Bean is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.