Cloquet football coach arrested on DWI charges

Cloquet High School head football coach Jeff Ojanen faces a pair of impaired driving charges filed Tuesday in Sixth District Court in Carlton.

Ojanen had been arrested and finger-printed by Cloquet police early in the morning on Dec. 23 and was later charged with driving while intoxicated.

Cloquet Public Schools superintendent Michael Cary confirmed the incident, and said district administration planned to review details and “address the situation when we return from (holiday) break.”

Ojanen, a math teacher, declined to comment when reached by the Pine Knot News.

Ojanen was charged with two misdemeanors related to driving while intoxicated, including operating a vehicle under the influence and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content over the legal limit of 0.08. Ojanen’s blood alcohol content level will not be made available until the commencement of court proceedings, the Cloquet police said.

According to a citation filed in district court, Ojanen, 39, was driving a GMC SUV when he was “stopped for speed/driving conduct,” at 4:17 a.m. on Dec. 23 near 19th Street and Selmser Avenue.

According to court records, Ojanen previously had been convicted of a pair of speeding citations in 2005 and 2019.

Ojanen’s first court appearance has not been scheduled.

Ojanen completed his first year as head coach of the Cloquet High School football program in 2022, culminating at the Section 7AAA title game in North Branch. The team finished with a 7-4 record. Prior to taking over as head coach, Ojanen was an assistant coach for 19 years working under Tom Lenarz.