Blue Mountain Community College has hired Osadonor “Oso” Esene as its new head men’s basketball coach, beginning July 1.
Esene replaces Gavin Burt, who resigned in April for personal reasons. Esene is the founder and owner of Ball Out PDX, LLC, an AAU youth basketball organization in the Portland Metro area, and for the past five years was the head varsity boy’s basketball coach at Centennial High School in Gresham. He also spent three years as a coach and basketball academy coordinator for All in One Basketball in Portland.
Esene also spent four years playing basketball professionally (2004-2009) for the Ludenscheid Baskets in Germany, where he also coached an U18 team to the West Germany Championship. Esene played basketball for the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where he was a Division II All-American and Pac West Conference Player of the Year in 2004-2005.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from UH-Hilo, and then his master’s in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine.
“Osa brings vast playing and coaching experience to the program, and we all look forward to working with him in the Athletic Department,” said BMCC Athletic Director Brett Bryan. Esene said he’s looking forward to moving to Pendleton with his wife to meet his team and engage with the community.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the guys and developing a rapport with the returning players,” Esene said. “This is my first collegiate coaching experience, so I’m excited to recruit. I’m hoping my personal experience as a player will relate well with the athletes. I played a year in the NWAC (Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Wash.), so I’m proof that big things can happen to NWAC players.”
