Dr. Sam Freas’ celebrated career, which included coaching South Africa’s Olympic swim team, spanned several decades with successful stints at Arkansas, Hawaii, LSU, Allegheny and SUNY-Potsdam before coming to Bison Hill to establish OBU’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs.

At OBU he quickly laid the foundation for what became one of the school’s most successful programs. In his first four seasons, his men’s teams won the NAIA national championship every year. After a runner-up finish in 2012, the women’s team won the national championship three consecutive years.

As OBU transitioned to membership in NCAA Division II, Freas’ teams established themselves as national contenders, with both the Bison and Lady Bison finishing fifth in their first appearance at the 2018 NCAA Championships and taking home individual national titles in the men’s 50 free, men’s 200 free relay, and women’s three-meter diving. At the 2019 Division II Championships in Indianapolis, OBU’s women’s team posted a second consecutive top-10 finish, while the men were again among the nation’s top 20 programs.

Freas passed away in March 2019.