Lawal selected to lead Marian Basketball Program

Bloomfield Hills, MI (June 24, 2024) – Marian High School today announced the addition of Olaseni (Shane) Lawal to the position of head basketball coach. Lawal takes over a Mustangs program that finished 11-12 following the 2023-24 season.  

"As a player, Shane Lawal's experience is unparalleled," Mike Watson, Marian Athletic Director said. "He is also a proven coach at the professional and high school levels. Most importantly, he has a strong understanding of student-athlete development beyond the game of basketball. His experiences will make our players better as athletes and as people." 

Lawal brings extensive expertise from diverse arenas, including the Nigerian National Team in the 2016 Olympics, professional play in EuroLeague with Dinamo Sassari, and coaching for the NBA's Sacramento Kings, Detroit Renaissance High School girls' basketball, and Michigan Storm Elite in AAU girls' travel basketball. 

"I am incredibly honored to join Marian High School as the head basketball coach," said Lawal. "As a father of three girls, this appointment means a great deal to me because it allows me to empower young female athletes and contribute to their growth both on and off the court. I look forward to fostering a family-focused, supportive environment where our players can thrive and develop into strong, confident leaders." 

Lawal helped Nigeria to a continental championship and a berth in the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. (Eurohoops.net)

Born in Nigeria, Lawal emigrated to the United States at eight years old and is a 2004 graduate of Southfield Lathrup High School. Lawal helped the Chargers to a final-eight finish in his one season of play under Coach Mike Avery. He also lettered four times in soccer and was a team captain.  

A 6'10", 225 lb. center/power forward, Lawal played three seasons at Oakland University under veteran mentor Greg Kampe. After receiving a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Lawal transferred to Wayne State University for his final year of collegiate eligibility.  

It's safe to say, he made an instant impact. 

Lawal earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) South Division second-team honors and was voted to the 2008-09 GLIAC all-Defensive team. Lawal earned a Master of Arts in Sports Administration in 2018 from Wayne State.  

Lawal played professionally in Qatar, Spain, Libya, Italy and Kazakhstan before signing with the EuroLeague's Dinamo Sassari for the 2014-15 season. Lawal led the league in offensive rebounding and blocks as Sassari won their league and the Italian Super Cup.  

In 2015, Lawal signed a two-year deal with Spanish club FC Barcelona, where he led Barcelona with a .730 field goal percentage during the 2015-16 season.  

Also in 2015, Lawal was selected to play for the Nigerian National Team. That same year, the Nigerians captured the country's first AfroBasket continental championship in Tunisia with a 74-65 win over Angola.

Lawal celebrates with the Phoenix team during the late stages of the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 Finals. (Mike Mulholland, MLive.com)

During the championship series, Lawal averaged 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 blocks while shooting 76% from the floor. The championship gave Nigeria an automatic berth to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  

"Playing for my home country's team in the Olympics is a feeling I can't describe," Lawal said in a 2016 interview. "It's a dream come true and something I've worked very hard to get to. It came with a lot of hard work, perseverance, dedication and believing in myself." 

Lawal became just the second Wayne State athlete in the past 30 years to compete at the Olympic Games.  

Between recovering from injury that prevented him from playing his second season at FC Barcelona, and what would prove to be his final professional playing stop in Beirut, Lawal caught the coaching bug as a volunteer assistant back in Michigan at Westland John Glenn High School in 2018.  

In 2019, Lawal was appointed as the head coach of the Detroit Renaissance girl's basketball program. True to their moniker, the Phoenix program thrived under Lawal's leadership, earning a 50-14 overall record in his three seasons at the helm.  

Under Lawal, Renaissance had the highest win percentage in school history and three Detroit Public School League (PSL) championships. From 2019-22, Lawal coached five all-state players, won two MHSAA District championships and a MHSAA Regional crown. The 2020-21 squad reached the MHSAA Division 1 Finals before falling 65-61 to Hudsonville.  

Following the 2021-22 season, Lawal received a unique opportunity to return to professional basketball, this time as a coach. Sacramento Kings Head Coach Mike Brown hired Lawal to join his staff as a Player Development Associate Coach for the 2022-23 season. That year, the Kings won 48 games and finished third in the NBA's Western Conference. In Sacramento, Lawal worked with players on-court. He also provided offensive game planning and analysis as well as advanced scouting.  

"Shane was an integral part of the success of the team," offered Kings Forward Harrison Barnes in a recommendation of Lawal. "His enthusiasm and dedication to not only show up three hours before practice ready for workouts, but also his diligence in film work, allowed me to be as prepared and professional as possible. I believe that Shane would be a great addition to any program that's looking to cultivate a winning culture and develop young talent both on and off the floor." 

Lawal is also an active part of the AAU girls travel basketball community. Since 2019, Shane has served as a 17U head coach and middle school director for Michigan Storm Elite. Michigan Storm players hail from all over the state and beyond and have produced players like Erika Davenport (Marquette), Moira Joiner (Michigan State), Amber Jamison (Northwestern), Lasha Petree (Bradley) and Jordan Walker (Tennessee), just to name a few. 

A resident of West Bloomfield Twp., Lawal is married to wife Tykia (Ty). Together, the couple has four young children.

Marian competes in the Catholic High School League (CHSL) Central Division with Warren Regina, Farmington Hills Mercy, Orchard Lake St. Mary, Divine Child, Toledo Notre Dame Academy, Toledo St. Ursula, Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard, Toledo Central Catholic and Jackson Lumen Christi.  

Tryouts and practices begin on November 16. Marian will open the season on the road at Imlay City on December 2. The Mustangs will return four senior letterwinners from the 2023-24 season.  

SOURCES:

https://wsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/shane-lawal/3227 
https://today.wayne.edu/news/2016/08/09/persistence-makes-a-dream-come-true-for-olympian-former-warrior-6336 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Lawal  

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