SMC California Athletics

Ojanen returned to Saint Mary's prior to the 2018-19 season in a new role as the Assistant Athletic Director of Men's Basketball. It will be his second stint with the team after previously serving from 2008-13 with the Gaels.

Ojanen originally came to Saint Mary's in 2008 and served as the program's video coordinator during his first season with the Gaels. During that season, he also assisted in running team and summer camps and oversaw the day-to-day functions of the office. For the next four years, Ojanen served as the team's Director of Basketball Operations. 

Most recently, Ojanen completed three seasons (2014-17) as a San José State University men’s basketball assistant coach. With Ojanen on staff, the Spartans improved from two wins in his first season to 14 wins in his final season (2016-17).

Primarily working the Spartan bigs, Ojanen coached and mentored Brandon Clarke for two seasons. During that time Clarke was the Mountain West Sixth-Man of the Year (2016), All-Mountain West First Team (2017) and an All-Defensive Team honoree.

In Ojanen's final season, the Spartans finished with a 14-16 overall record and won seven Mountain West games. It was the most wins in a season since 2010-11 when SJSU went 17-16, and the seven conference wins were the most since 1996.

Ojanen also spent one season at Cal State East Bay as an assistant coach in 2013-14.

Before coming to Saint Mary's, Ojanen was a history teacher at Cortez High School in Phoenix, Ariz. from 2005-08. During that time, he was the head junior varsity boys basketball coach all three years and served as as an assistant coach with the varsity team.

Ojanen is a 2004 graduate of California Baptist University, where he earned a degree in history and was a two-year starter at guard on the basketball team. Prior to his time at Cal Baptist, he was a two-year starter in basketball at Phoenix College from 2000-02.