A Proud Appalachian Coach
I was called a lot of names growing up my small, river town in Southeastern Ohio. “Nerd”, “Jock”, and “Zach’s brother” I am very proud of all them, actually. Unlike many from the region, I won the parent lottery. My parents sacrificed everything for the both of us. They valued education and made sure we knew that our future would include higher education. But it was not until I arrived on Ohio State’s campus that I was called something that would wake me up every day focused on impacting others: “Appalachian”.
After spending four amazing years in Columbus, I became the youngest assistant coach in the Big Ten at the University of Illinois. And in just three seasons, I came back to my alma mater to coach a Big Ten Championship team. Eight years later, I act as the Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach. It is the daily grinds of coaching and recruiting that breath tremendous passion and happiness into my life. I have had the opportunity to travel to over 40 states and 10 countries. But most importantly, I have had the opportunity to see my players become professional basketball players, doctors, lawyers, and even coaches.
Most people think that being a coach is my life’s biggest accomplishment. It is not. In 2011, I started a non-profit called The iBELIEVE Foundation, focused on providing Appalachian youth educational opportunities. Over the past 7 years, we have raised over a $1million for students from the region. We often hear the negative narratives associated with growing up in this region: poverty, the opioid epidemic, and lack of education preparedness. That IS the reason why I received that scholarship in 2002 from the Office of Minority Affairs. However, The iBELIEVE Foundation has developed thousands of students academic skills, vision for a future, and confidence to go back and create change in their school and communities.
I am most proud to lead a group of students proud to be “Appalachian” now. Over 98% of our students are in 2 or 4-year institutions. And my advice to them is simple: it doesn’t matter how old you are, where you are from, what you look like, or what your parents do for a living. What matters is that you are passionate, hard working, and willing to put service as your North Star throughout your life!
About Patrick:
A native of Belpre, Ohio, Patrick attended Ohio State, earned a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2005 and a master’s degree from the Fisher College of Business in March 2010. Patrick currently serves as the Associate Head Coach of Women’s Basketball Team at The Ohio State University. He served his first five seasons as an assistant coach and was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the start of the 2016-17 season. Outside of his coaching duties, Patrick in charge of scheduling and plays a major role in donor relations and the academic success of the student-athletes. Patrick, has served as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois from 2007-09, as a graduate assistant on Jim Foster’s Ohio State staff from 2005-07 and again in 2011 where he assisted in several areas including summer camps, community service and supervising the student managers. Outside of athletics, Patrick is the founder of PB& J Consultants, a leadership consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio. He also is the founder and executive director of the iBELIEVE Foundation, which provides leadership, communication and problem solving skills to youth from the 13 state Appalachian region.
Patrick Educational History:
2002 - HS Graduate, Belpre City Schools
2006 - BS in business management, The Ohio State University
2010 - Master’s of Business Administration, The Ohio State University
Connect with Patrick:
@patrickwklein (Twitter)
@patrickwklein (Instagram)
Patrick Klein (Facebook)