Jayden Olson is in his sixth year as an assistant coach on the Bison staff after joining NDSU in April 2014. He was promoted to associate head coach in July 2016. Prior to NDSU, Olson was part of the recent successful program revivals at the University of Nebraska and Colorado State University.
In the 2014-15 season, Olson helped guide the Bison to the Summit League regular season and tournament championships and their third NCAA Tournament bid in seven years. NDSU racked up 23 victories in his first season on the bench – the most by any Division I team under a first-year head coach last season.
“Jayden’s pedigree, work ethic and, most importantly, his character were exactly what we were looking for when putting together our staff,” said NDSU head coach David Richman upon Olson’s hire. “His ties to North Dakota and the area, along with his knowledge of the game, make him a great fit.”
Olson came to NDSU from Nebraska, where he served as the director of basketball operations for the past two seasons under Huskers head coach Tim Miles. He was the primary day-to-day administrator within the Nebraska basketball office, where he handled the program’s budget, team travel, clinics, camps and daily office operations, as well as serving as the liaison with academics, life skills, HuskerVision and media relations departments.
Nebraska went 19-13 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the 2013-14 season, a marked improvement over a 12-win season two years prior.
“I’m elated to join Coach Richman’s staff and the strong tradition of North Dakota State Athletics and Bison men’s basketball,” Olson said in 2014. “Being a North Dakota native, having a chance to work in your home state is something you dream of, and I look forward to doing my part in helping to build on recent successes.”
Olson spent two seasons with Miles at Colorado State prior to his time at Nebraska. He was CSU’s director of basketball operations for the 2011-12 season when the Rams went 20-12 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Olson was the team’s video coordinator in 2010-11.
Olson was the top assistant coach at Augustana College for three seasons from 2007-2010, helping the Vikings to a 67-26 record during his time in Sioux Falls, S.D. The team qualified for three NCAA Division II regional tournaments while Olson was a part of the program. Olson also helped recruit back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Freshman of the Year award winners in 2009 and 2010.
Prior to his arrival at Augustana, Olson spent two seasons (2005-07) as a graduate assistant coach at the University of North Dakota, where he earned his master’s degree in kinesiology.
A 2003 graduate of Dickinson State, Olson received his bachelor’s degrees in physical education and business education. At Dickinson State, Olson was captain of the basketball team and a two-time academic All-America selection, and his 2000-01 team set a school record with 28 wins. Prior to Dickinson State, Olson played two years at Williston State College, a Division I junior college in Williston, N.D. He was a team captain at the school, as it set a school record for wins during the 1998-99 season and advanced to the NJCAA National Championship.
Olson and his wife, Katie, live in Fargo with their daughter, Kennedi, and son, Kamdyn.
