HOUGHTON, Mich. – Ben Stelzer, a former men’s basketball player and assistant coach at Michigan Tech, has been appointed as an assistant coach for the Santa Cruz Warriors, as announced on Tuesday.
Stelzer is set to begin his second season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, taking on the role of assistant coach after previously serving as a coaching associate and basketball operations coordinator for the team last season. Before moving to the Warriors organization, he spent two years as an assistant men’s basketball coach at his alma mater, Michigan Technological University. Additionally, Stelzer held a position as a player development intern with the Dallas Mavericks from 2019 to 2021.
Stelzer’s collegiate basketball career started in 2011 at Michigan Tech, where he was a four-year starter and served as team captain for three of those years. He holds the record for the most three-pointers in the program’s history with 363 and achieved a shooting percentage of 44% during his senior year. Stelzer was recognized as an NCAA Division II All-American, an Academic All-American, and the Midwest Region Player of the Year. He played a pivotal role in leading the Huskies to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a reach into the NCAA Division II Sweet 16. Following his collegiate career, Stelzer played professionally in Spain for Layma Basquet Coruna, where he led the league in total three-pointers made and helped his team reach the playoff semifinals.