Jan Olesinski is a multi-faceted coach who’s been with NMMI for 33 years.

He arrived at the Institute in 1987 as the pentathlon coach and since then has coached cross country, swimming, track and field and fencing.

A native of Katowice, Poland, Olesinski has a bachelor’s and master’s in physical education from the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw.

He was a two-time pentathlon Olympian for Poland in 1980 in Moscow and 1984 in Los Angeles. He was also on the world-champion Polish pentathlon team in 1981 and the first Polish triathlon champion in 1984. He is also a master world champion, winning in 2016 and 2018.

While pentathlon and fencing have always been club sports at NMMI, Olesinski began coaching NMAA-sanctioned Colt cross country and swimming in 1992. He has also coached Colt track on and off since 2002 and has been the head coach of NMMI's women’s cross country team since 2007.

Besides his work at NMMI, Olesinski has organized the NMMI Pentathlon Competition since 1989, coached the Caprock Swimming Club since 1990, instructed at the Roswell Fencing Club since 2000, served as the Bottomless Lakes Triathlon race director since 1996.

He was the camp director of the Pentathlon Olympic Development Clinic from 1988-2000 as well as in 2005 and 2007. He was also the U.S. Junior Olympic triathlon coach from 1992-1999.

Olesinski was named the Pentathlon Development Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998, selected as an alternate coach for the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Olympic team in 1992, a member of the USAT National Coaching Committee from 1997 to 2002, chairman of USMPA coaching committee in 1999 and appointed to the New Mexico Recreational Trails Advisory Board by former Gov. Bill Richardson in 2004. Recently he served as a coach for the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Olympic Team in Rio, 2016.

He is married to Colt girls basketball coach Marisha Olesinski and has three children  — Marek played basketball for Roswell High and the Air Force Academy. Anna was a cross country and track runner for Roswell High and a national junior pentathlete who attend the Air Force Academy and runs track and cross country. Alex played for Roswell High and La Lumiere School and was a former member of the UCLA Bruins basketball team.

Prominent Pupils

Mary Beth Larsen (NMMI): Two-time U.S. Olympian in pentathlon

Nathan Schrimsher (Roswell): 11th place Rio Olympics

Anna Olesinski (Roswell): Fourth-place Youth Olympics in Singapore, 2010