| Ira Van Cleave | |
| Birth Date: | 30 July 1888 |
| Birth Place: | Peoria, Iowa, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Pomona, California, U.S. |
| Player Sport1: | Baseball |
| Player Years2: | 1910–1912 |
| Player Team2: | Springfield |
| Coach Sport1: | Football |
| Coach Years2: | 1912–1914 |
| Coach Team2: | Hays Normal |
| Coach Years3: | 1917–1919 |
| Coach Team3: | Whittier |
| Coach Years4: | 1920–1925 |
| Coach Team4: | Pomona HS (CA) |
| Coach Years5: | 1927 |
| Coach Team5: | La Verne (freshmen) |
| Coach Years6: | 1928–1929 |
| Coach Team6: | La Verne |
| Coach Sport7: | Basketball |
| Coach Years8: | 1912–1915 |
| Coach Team8: | Hays Normal |
| Coach Years9: | 1917–1920 |
| Coach Team9: | Whittier |
| Coach Years10: | 1920–1926 |
| Coach Team10: | Pomona HS (CA) |
| Coach Years11: | 1927–1930 |
| Coach Team11: | La Verne |
| Coach Sport12: | Baseball |
| Coach Years13: | 1917–1920 |
| Coach Team13: | Whittier |
| Coach Years14: | 1921–1926 |
| Coach Team14: | Pomona HS (CA) |
| Coach Years15: | 1928–? |
| Coach Team15: | La Verne (freshmen) |
| Coach Sport16: | Track |
| Coach Years17: | 1920–1926 |
| Coach Team17: | Pomona HS (CA) |
| Coach Years18: | 1927–? |
| Coach Team18: | La Verne |
| Admin Years1: | 1912–1915 |
| Admin Team1: | Hays Normal |
| Admin Years2: | 1928–1930 |
| Admin Team2: | La Verne |
| Overall Record: | 11–25–1 (college football) |
Ira Harlan "Sphinx" Van Cleave (July 30, 1888 – May 29, 1943) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field coach, athletics administrator, and physical education instructor. He served as the head football coach at Fort Hays Kansas State Normal School—now known as Fort Hays State University—in Hays, Kansas from 1912 to 1914, Whittier College in Whittier, California from 1917 to 1919, and La Verne College—now known as the University of La Verne—in La Verne, California from in 1928 to 1929.
Van Cleave was born on July 30, 1888, in Peoria, Iowa. He graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa in 1909 and International YMCA College—now known as Springfield College—in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1912.[1]
Van Cleave resigned from his position at Hays Normal in the summer of 1915 and moved to California.[2] He was hired in 1917 as athletic coach at Whittier College in Whittier, California, succeeding Russell T. Wilson.[3] Van Cleave left Whittier in 1920 to become the athletic director at Pomona High School in Pomona, California.[4] He led the Pomona High baseball team to a Citrus Belt League title in 1926.[5] In June 1926, the Pomona school board opted to retain Van Cleave at athletic coach, but offered him the position of physical education instructor.[6]
Van Cleave was hired by La Verne College—now known as the University of La Verne—in La Verne, California as varsity basketball and track coach and freshman coach in football and baseball.[7] He succeeded Claude Arnett as head football coach in 1928.[8] Van Cleave resigned as head athletic coach at La Verne in early 1930 and was succeeded by Lee Eisan.[9] [10]
Van Cleave died on May 29, 1943, at Pomona Valley Community Hospital in Pomona, California.[1]