Coach Okesson (Coach "O") grew up playing lacrosse in Syracuse, N.Y. He played lacrosse at Wheaton College (Ill.) and later coached high school lacrosse in Syracuse, N.Y. He later became the head lacrosse coach at Wheaton College, where they competed against all the Big Ten schools, and beat the University of Michigan in overtime, in Ann Arbor. Coach O has played or coached lacrosse since the late 1970s.
Coach Okesson received a B.A from Wheaton College (Psychology and Bible), a M.A. from Wheaton Graduate School (Biblical Studies), a M.A. from Wheaton Graduate School (Intercultural Studies), and a Ph.D. from University of Leeds, United Kingdom (Theology and Religious Studies).
Coach O is currently the Dean of the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism and Professor of Leadership and Development at Asbury Theological Seminary. Before coming to Asbury Theological Seminary, he was a faculty member at Scott Christian University, Kenya, East Africa for 10 years where he served as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Prior to this he was a pastor in Syracuse, N.Y., worked in Student Development at Wheaton College, and was a church planter amongst a Muslim people-group in north-central Tanzania. Coach Okesson and his family lived in East Africa for 13 years. He is married to Kimberly, and has two children, Isaiah and Anna.
