With such a storied career, it’s difficult to put Coach Ty Amundsen into words. His success, both as a player and as a program architect has taken him all over the world, where he has had the opportunity to experience the game of basketball on every level there is.

 

Born in the Bay Area of California, Coach Amundsen had a love for the game of basketball from an early age. He attended high school at Newark Memorial, where he played for the legendary coach Vance Walberg (currently coaching at Fresno State).  During his high school career, Coach Amundsen helped lead Newark Memorial High to an MVAL Championship and #1 ranking in Northern California. 

 

After high school, Coach Amundsen attended Chabot Community College where in his first year they were California State Runners-Up.  In his sophomore year, he was an All-League Performer and led the Gladiators in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game. 

 

After his two-year community college career came to a close, Coach Amundsen accepted a Full-Ride Scholarship to attend Fresno Pacific University.  At Fresno Pacific, Coach Amundsen had an immediate impact on the GSAC Championship run for the Sunbirds. He was a key contributor on the team, averaging 15.8 points per game (2nd on the team) and 4.7 assists per game (1st on the team). During his first season, the Sunbirds also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, where they advanced to the Elite 8.

 

Though his time at Fresno Pacific was short, Coach Amundsen left a lasting legacy on the program. In his two years with the Sunbirds, the team set school records for wins. To this day, Coach Amundsen is still Fresno Pacific University’s record holder for free throws made in a game, netting a perfect 13 of 13 in the GSAC Championship game. 

 

After Coach Amundsen’s college career ended, he continued to play professionally in the San Francisco and Sacramento Pro Leagues, where he got the chance to play against some NBA legends, like Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Brian Shaw, and Lester Conner.

 

Once it was time to hang up his shoes, Coach Amundsen decided that he wanted to remain a part of the game through coaching. From humble beginnings as an assistant for Montgomery High School, he did his part to help the team win the California North Coast Section Championship, as well as three California North Bay League Titles.

 

After years as a successful assistant coach, the call finally came to bring Coach Amundsen into the captain’s seat. He took the job of Head Coach for Healdsburg High School for a single season before he and his family moved to Arizona, where he became Head Coach at Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear. 

 

During Coach Amundsen’s six seasons at Estrella Foothills, the Wolves saw an abundance of successes, winning three Arizona High School State Championships, as well as four Arizona West Region titles.

 

Coach Amundsen also achieved a variety of accolades as head coach of the Wolves, including Arizona Coach of the Year and West Region Coach of the Year for his efforts on the court.  During his tenure at Estrella Foothills, he had the opportunity to train and develop the state’s all-time Leading Scorer, Corey Hawkins, who went on to lead a professional career in the NBA.

 

After his time with Estrella Foothills, Coach Amundsen took his coaching talents to St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix.  In his 5 years at St. Mary’s Head Boys Basketball Coach Amundsen led the Knights to a back-to-back Section Runners-Up and three State Division 1 Quarterfinal appearances.  

 

Coach Amundsen is currently the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Millennium High School, where he has achieved a record of 138-51. On his watch, the Tigers have been to two 5A State Championships and an Open Division State Championship, in addition to holding an undefeated record in the 5A Desert West Region.