Tyler Ojanen was named the Head Coach of OUAZ Men's Basketball in June 2024. He is the second head coach in the program's history, and the Valley native is looking forward to taking the Spirit to the next level.
Ojanen comes over to OUAZ from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California, where he was an assistant coach for the storied program that won 19 games and participated in the CIF Division I Championships in 2023-2024.
Ojanen was an assistant coach at Northern Arizona for over three seasons prior to SMCHS. While on staff with the Lumberjacks, Ojanen was twice named to Silver Waves Media’s Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistant Coaches list. He helped many players write their name into the NAU record books, post career seasons, and earn Academic All-American honors.
Ojanen made his way to Flagstaff after two separate stints at Saint Mary’s College. He was the Assistant Athletic Director of Men’s Basketball during the 2018-2019 season, where he not only was a great coach with the team, but coordinated all of the essential aspects for a team that won the West Coast Conference Tournament and made an appearance in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
In his first stint at SMC, Ojanen was the Director of Basketball Operations and Video Coordinator for five seasons, where he was a part of the program that went 124-33, won two WCC Conference Tournament Championships, made the NCAA Tournament three times and reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2010. Ojanen was a vital part of the program’s success on the court and in the community, helping with gameplans, practice plans, and recruiting while also coordinating various service efforts to give back.
Ojanen also had coaching stops at Cal State Easy Bay (2013-2014 season) and San Jose State (three seasons) before heading back to SMC. During the 2017-2018 school year, Ojanen was the Director of Olympic Sports Operations at SJSU, where he assisted in fundraising events and helped organize community outreach efforts.
Ojanen graduated from California Baptist University with a Bachelor’s of Arts in History, where he was a great two-year player for the Lancers. Ojanen currently holds the season free throw percentage record for Cal Baptist, shooting .857 from the charity stripe in the . Prior to his two years in Riverside, Ojanen played two seasons at Phoenix College.
