UAFS Sports Information
Janz, a native of Wichita, Kan., has served the past eight years as director of athletics at Oklahoma Christian University, which, along with UAFS, is a member of NCAA Division II and the Heartland Conference.
He succeeds former UAFS director of athletics Dr. Dustin Smith, who resigned this past May to become director of athletic operations for Greenwood (Ark.) Public Schools.
“Dr. Smith did a great job bringing UAFS into the NCAA and stabilizing our coaching staff. With the years of experience that Mr. Janz brings, he can strengthen what we have, work with coaches to provide even more academic and leadership opportunities for our student athletes, and deepen the connection between the Fort Smith community and UAFS athletics,” Beran said.
A former basketball player at Oklahoma Christian, Janz served as assistant men’s basketball coach for 19 seasons on the staff of legendary former Oklahoma Christian head coach Dan Hays before giving up those duties in August of 2009 to focus solely on his duties as director of athletics, a position he was named to a few months earlier.
During his tenure as director of athletics at Oklahoma Christian, Janz was instrumental in the growth of the athletics department, which now includes 16 sports. Under Janz, Oklahoma Christian posted three consecutive Top 10 finishes from 2010 to 2012 in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup for NAIA schools, which measures the across-the-board success of college athletic departments. During the 2014-15 academic year, Oklahoma Christian athletes had an overall grade-point average of 3.18.
In 2012, Janz led Oklahoma Christian’s successful application to begin the NCAA Division II membership process. Oklahoma Christian received full NCAA Division II membership in September 2015.
“Mr. Janz understands the transition that UAFS has had into the NCAA and stands ready to help UAFS gain national recognition for the success of our student athletes both on and off the field,” Beran said.
Janz received his master’s degree in 1988 from the University of Central Oklahoma. He is an active member of the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
Janz is the co-author of a textbook, “Basketball Skill Progressions,” with Jerry Krause of Gonzaga University and James Conn of Central Missouri State University. The text has been adopted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as a component of its Youth Basketball Instructional Packets. In 2003, Janz received the second annual AFLAC National Assistant Coaches of the Year award
