Former Wheaton College head men's soccer coach Joe Bean died Thursday, February 13, 2025. Bean retired as Wheaton's men's soccer coach at the conclusion of Wheaton's 2006 NCAA Division III Runner-Up season. He served as Wheaton's head men's soccer coach for 37 seasons (1969-2006) and spent 45 seasons as a collegiate head men's soccer coach, also serving at Quinnipiac (1962-64), and Bridgeport (1965-68). In his time at Wheaton, he served in many roles, including Professor of Physical Education, director of admissions, head men's golf coach, assistant baseball coach, and others.  

Wheaton College President Philip Ryken says of Coach Bean, "I have known Coach Joe Bean for as long as I can remember, going back to when I was five years old. He has always had an encouraging word for me. And no one has better embodied our vision for Wheaton College Athletics: spiritual formation in an environment of competitive excellence."

Joe Bean was the winningest men's soccer coach in collegiate soccer history at the time of his retirement in 2006, winning 607 matches in 45 years with a record of 607-185-61 (74.7%). Today his mark is the second-highest win total in Division III men's soccer history and is third in all of collegiate men's soccer. 

"Coach Bean was one of the all-time great college soccer coaches. His coaching resume speaks for itself," states Wheaton's Director of Athletics, Mike Schauer. Schauer continues, " But he was also one of the best men I have ever known. I enjoyed every opportunity I got to be around him. He will be deeply missed." 

His Wheaton teams made 32 postseason appearances with a record of 44-26-3 (62.3% winning percentage). Bean guided his squads to five NCAA Division III Final Four appearances, with National Championships in 1984 and 1997. His 1999 and 2006 teams were both the Division III National runner-up and Wheaton's 1990 team was also a National Semifinalist.
 
He guided the Wheaton men's soccer program to 14 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships, and today the conference's men's soccer Coach of the Year award is named in his honor. He led Wheaton to five Midwest Metropolitan Soccer Conference (MMSC) Championships; three Illinois-Indiana Soccer Conference (IISC) Championships and one Michigan-Illinois-Indiana Soccer Conference (MIISC) Championship.

Current Wheaton head men's soccer coach Steve McCrath, a longtime friend of Coach Bean and the Bean family says, "Joe was more than a coach, and it is a testament to him with how many people that have reached out in the last few hours to the family and his friends. In many cases it has been people that did not know Joe, but they know the way that he impacted my life and other peoples' lives in a positive way and because he was so special. That was Joe – he was reaching people that did not know him well." McCrath adds, "I will miss him. My heart has a gaping hole today." McCrath notes, "He was Wheaton through and through. He was wearing a Wheaton sweatshirt earlier today – he loved all Wheaton sports; it was not just a soccer thing."

McCrath notes of Coach Bean's influence, "Joe had a major impact on both the soccer community and in the Christian soccer community. Many coaches' lives have changed because of him. He made an impact in their lives for the better because he loved integrity, and he loved Jesus – he cared that people knew the truth."

Under Coach Bean's leadership the Wheaton men's soccer program took numerous sports ministry trips around the globe. Wheaton took eight trips abroad under his leadership: Central America (1974); England and Romania (1986); Eastern Europe (1989); Poland and Russia (1991); Portugal and Spain (1995); Brazil (1999); Ireland and Northern Ireland (2003); and Germany (2006).

Bean received many awards and recognitions through the years, including:

• He was the first recipient of the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA)/National Intercollegiate Soccer Official Association (NISOA) "Merit Award for Sportsmanship and Integrity"
• Inducted into the NSCAA (now United Soccer Coaches) Hall of Fame in 2007
• Inducted into the Wheaton Athletic Department's "Hall of Honor" in 1990
• The soccer field/facility at Wheaton was named Joe Bean Stadium in 2006
• CCIW Men's Soccer Coach of the Year Award named the Joe Bean Coach of the Year Award in 2006
• On October 25, 2006, he became the first men's coach in collegiate soccer history to reach 600 career wins

Coach Bean is survived by his wife Shirley. The couple has four children: Laurie (Narup), Pam (Thonn), JT and TJ, in addition to numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.