Bio

Few players have ever done what Joel Claassen did on the basketball court while he played at UW-Oshkosh. Even fewer have ever achieved the success he has from the sidelines as a coach.

The Milwaukee native spent his first two years of college at Kent State University (Ohio), where he attended on a basketball scholarship. He started as a freshman for the Golden Flashes, but by the end of his sophomore season he felt a change was in order.

In 1977, Claassen came to UW-Oshkosh and rediscovered a new love for the game. In his first season as a member of the Titans, Claassen teamed with UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame member Ralph Sims and current UW-Oshkosh head men's basketball coach Ted Van Dellen to lead the Titans to an 18-10 record and the WSUC championship.

The following year, Claassen received All-WSUC and NAIA All-District 14 honors and was chosen the team’s most valuable player and captain after leading the Titans in scoring by averaging 19.3 points per game. Claassen also set the UW-Oshkosh single-game scoring record that season when he tossed in 48 points in a contest in Kolf Sports Center against Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He concluded his playing career at UW-Oshkosh with 799 points.

After his outstanding collegiate career ended, teaching and coaching were the focus of Claassen's competitive drive. Today, when he's not teaching his students Sociology of American History in the classroom at Milwaukee Pius Xi High School, he's making history with them on the basketball court.

In 10 seasons as the head girls basketball coach at Milwaukee Pius XI High School, Claassen has led the Lady Popes to a 247-10 record, 10 conference championships and nine state championships. His teams also hold state records for consecutive wins at 92 and consecutive conference wins at 145. The Lady Popes have been ranked nationally 10 consecutive years, including a No. 3 ranking in 1990. Claassen was also honored as UW-Oshkosh's recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Claassen was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019.