Veteran NU Assistant Paul Klempa Named Head Coach of Husker Bowling Team

Courtesy – NU Athletic Communications 

Lincoln – Long-time Nebraska assistant coach Paul Klempa has been named the new head coach of the Husker bowling program, Athletic Director Bill Moos announced on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

“Paul Klempa has been a leader in Nebraska Bowling since before it became a varsity sport. He has helped lay the foundation for the country’s most successful program,” Moos said. “Paul was integral in building the program, has proven that he has what it takes to lead the team to success, and has earned the opportunity to take our program to even greater heights in the years to come.”

Klempa, a Nebraska alum who bowled for Hall of Fame Coach Bill Straub as a member of the University’s men’s bowling team in the 1990s, has been an assistant with the women’s team since bowling became a varsity sport at Nebraska in 1997.

During most of the 2013-14 season, Klempa served as Nebraska’s interim head coach while Straub recovered from a medical issue.

“My family and I are truly blessed and humbled to have been granted the opportunity to lead Nebraska Bowling,” Klempa said. “I would like to thank Bill Moos and Bob Burton for their faith in me to be the next head coach of Husker Bowling. I am determined to do my level best to continue the success that Husker Bowling has achieved under the leadership of the legend, Bill Straub. I am ready to begin a new chapter of Nebraska Bowling.”

Klempa has been a key component to every facet of the Husker varsity program since its inception, helping the Huskers to seven national championships, including five NCAA titles since 2004. He has helped the Huskers to an appearance at every NCAA Tournament – the only program in the country that can claim that distinction – including a current streak of 11 top-four national finishes.

Since Nebraska’s inaugural varsity season in 1997-98, Klempa has helped Husker bowlers capture 57 NTCA All-America awards, including nine NTCA Collegiate Bowlers of the Year. A total of 14 bowlers also have been selected to compete for their respective national teams under Klempa’s guidance.

As a senior at Nebraska in 1994, Klempa claimed All-America honors of his own on the lanes. A native of Johnstown, N.Y., Klempa earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nebraska in 1994. Klempa and his wife, Leanna, have two sons, Jake and Carter.

(Photo – Courtesy NU Athletic Communications)