Jim Ozella - Assistant to the Head Coach - Baseball Support Staff

Jim Ozella

Title:
Assistant to the Head Coach

Jim Ozella begins his first season as an assistant to Long Beach State head coach TJ Bruce in the Spring 2025.

A high school coaching legend in the Los Angeles area, Ozella spent 25 years as head coach at Hart High School in Santa Clarita where his teams went 468-247, qualified for 21 CIF Playoff appearances, and took home nine Foothill League championships. In his final season at Hart in 2024, the club won the program’s second CIF-SS Division 2 title, and he was awarded 2024 ABCA/ATEC High School Division II and Foothill League Coach of the Year honors.

Eight of his former players went on to play in Major League Baseball during his 40-year prep career. Currently, Tyler Glasnow is pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chris Valaika is the hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians.

Ozella published his first book, The Greatest Time to Be a Kid; Stories of Unexpected Adventure, in March of 2024.

“Jim is an incredible teacher/life coach/baseball coach,” Bruce said. “I learn from him every day. Our school is very fortunate to have a legend on our hands, and winner at life!”