Barry Wheeler, who helped build successful collegiate volleyball programs at two of Oklahoma Christian's sister institutions, was chosen in January 2019 to lead the revival of OC’s long-dormant program, with an eye on beginning competition in 2020 in the Lone Star Conference.
Wheeler came to OC after three seasons as the head coach at Crowley's Ridge (Ark.), an NAIA school that – like OC – is affiliated with churches of Christ. He also spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Rochester (Mich.), guiding that program to a pair of national titles in what now is known as the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
In between his two college jobs, the 56-year-old Wheeler was a successful prep coach for 14 seasons in Missouri and Arkansas, winning a Missouri Class 2 state title in 2007 at Stockton High School.
Wheeler has a career collegiate coaching record of 271-273. At Rochester, he took a fledgling program and turned it into a winner. The Warriors made the NSCAA tournament eight times, reaching the Final Four each year from 1995 to 1999 and winning the title in 1998 and 1999.
Wheeler, who went 233-202 as a volleyball coach at Rochester, also coached that school's women's basketball and softball teams and last October, he was inducted into the Rochester College Sports Hall of Fame.
He guided the program at Crowley's Ridge as it transitioned into the NAIA. In 2018, the Pioneers earned their first NAIA postseason berth, competing in the Association of Independent Institutions Conference Championship tournament and finishing 18-25.
At the high school level, Wheeler worked at Stockton, Mo., from 2002 to 2008; at Hollister, Mo., from 2008 to 2014; at Holden, Ark., from 2014 to 2015 and at Houston, Mo., from 2015 to 2016. Including his high school seasons, Wheeler has a career record of 497-414.
Originally from Flint, Mich., Wheeler earned his associate degree at Rochester (then known as Michigan Christian) in 1983 before receiving his bachelor's degree from Harding (Ark.) in 1986. He has two master's degrees, in sports medicine from the United States Sports Academy and in education from Southwest Baptist (Mo.).
He and his wife, Lynette, have been married since 1986 and have two sons, Logan and Brandtly, and one daughter, Lauren.
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