After graduating from Quincy University in 1970, Ociepka became an assistant coach for Gordon Technical High School in Chicago. After nine seasons as assistant, Ociepka became head coach in 1979.[4][5] At Gordon Tech, Ociepka had a 128–43 record in six seasons and led Gordon to regional titles in his first four seasons and a spot in the state finals in his first season.[4] From 1985 to 1989, Ociepka was head coach at York Community High School in Elmhurst.[5] He was less successful at York, with a 27–50 record in his first three seasons.[6] In 2000, he was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame for his contribution to prep sports.[7]
NBA career
While coaching high school basketball, Ociepka served as a part-time volunteer scout for the Detroit Pistons in the 1980s.
From 2008 to 2010, Ociepka was an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls and rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro.[7] In 2010, following Del Negro's firing from the Bulls, Ociepka was hired as an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers.[10]
During his time in the NBA, Ociepka has also written two books on basketball strategies. Basketball Playbook: Plays From the Pros was published in 1995 and Basketball Playbook 2: More Plays from the Pros was published in 2001.[9]
After serving as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers for the second time in his career, in the 2012–13 season, Ociepka retired from coaching.[11]