Coach pleads guilty in DWI case

Cloquet High School head football coach Jeff Ojanen pleaded guilty Jan. 13 to a single fourth-degree misdemeanor count of driving while impaired related to his arrest last month.

Ojanen, 39, was arrested by Cloquet police early in the morning on Dec. 23, and was subsequently charged in Sixth District Court in Carlton with a pair of misdemeanors related to DWI.

In his plea agreement, Ojanen admitted to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10, which is over the legal limit of 0.08.

Ojanen declined to comment when reached by the newspaper, and refrained from answering if he would be disciplined by the school.

As part of Ojanen’s guilty plea, a 90-day jail sentence, with credit for one day already served, was stayed for one year pending no further violations. Ojanen was fined $300, with additional costs making his total financial obligation to the court $410.

Also, according to the plea agreement filed in district court, Ojanen will need to attend a victim impact panel, and a DUI clinic, as well as complete a chemical use assessment test and comply with any recommendations.

Given the plea arrangement signed by Judge Amy Lukasavitz, a subsequent hearing scheduled for March has been canceled.

Cloquet schools superintendent Michael Cary said he couldn’t comment on actions taken with individual employees, but that staff was expected to serve as positive role models for children in the community.

“We do take this expectation seriously and work with our legal counsel to ensure we are communicating and reinforcing it appropriately,” Cary said. “We are working internally on how to best continue to reinforce our communication and expectation.”

According to the original citation filed in district court, Ojanen 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.

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.