Christopher Lance Cudjoe

Teacher, coach, mentor, servant leader, and a friend are just a few of the descriptive attributes of Christopher Lance Cudjoe. Mr. Cudjoe is currently in his 44 th year of teaching and coaching. Over the past 11 years he has proudly held the positions of World History teacher and Boys’ Basketball coach at Star Spencer High School (SSHS). Mr. Cudjoe served as the SSHS assistant boys’ basketball coach for three years before being selected as the Head Boys Basketball Coach in 2016.

Christopher Lance Cudjoe, grew up in Oklahoma City in a home of educators who highly influenced his decision to become a member of the greatest, yet most unheralded profession in the world – teaching. His mother, Dr. Freddie Foshee Cudjoe, Ph.D. was his foremost educational influencer as she, an African American female, beat the odds by becoming reportedly becoming one of the first African Americans in the state of Oklahoma to earn a Ph.D. This allowed her to become a school principal, a college professor at Langston University and Meharry Medical School, and an advisory consultant for Oklahoma City Public School System (OKCPS). Even today, as she is well into her senior most years, his mother remains his best friend, confidant, educational advisor, and life coach. Also, highly influential in his educational and coaching journey was his father, Lance Cudjoe, Sr. and his twin brother, Lawrence Cudjoe. Both of whom, after returning from serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, obtained their bachelor’s degrees and went on to play professional basketball with the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters. His father went on to serve as an elementary school principal and coach. It was that love of education and sports that helped propel both Christopher, and his brother Patrick, to become teachers and coaches and to ultimately use education to make a positive difference in lives of young people and in the greater community.

Christopher Lance Cudjoe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Langston University and a master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Oklahoma. After graduating from college, Mr. Cudjoe was employed as a Social Studies Teacher at Capitol 2 | Page Christopher Lance Cudjoe High School in Oklahoma City. Capitalizing on his background as a college basketball letterman he was hired as the school’s Assistant Boys Basketball Coach. Two years later, he assumed positions of Physical Education Teacher and Head Boys Basketball Coach at Boley Public Schools. Christopher Cudjoe served as a high school coach and teacher of social studies, history, and physical education at Western Heights, Mid-Del School Districts before returning to OKCPS to serve as a history teacher and Head Boys Basketball Coach at his alma mater, Northeast High School. Mr. Cudjoe went on to serve a history teacher and Assistant Boys Basketball coach at Douglass High School. During his forty-four (44) year teaching and coaching career, Christopher Cudjoe has have received numerous acknowledgments, honors and citations. Nevertheless, Mr. Cudjoe states: From a pedagogical and academic standpoint, my proudest fete is that, over the years, the majority of my students have consistently demonstrated appreciable academic gains via grades, classroom assessments, formative assessments, state testing, and college entrance exams. Most importantly, the overwhelming majority of my students have become productive members of society; some of whom are doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, judges, politicians, and most importantly, outstanding teachers, administrators, coaches, and overall – good productive people.”

Coaching has been very rewarding for Christopher Cudjoe having served as the Assistant Boys Basketball Coach at OKCPS’s Douglass High School wherein the teams won three consecutive state 4A Boys Basketball championships. Under Coach Cudjoe’s leadership as the Head Coach of the Star Spencer Bobcats Boys Basketball team, the Bobcats have made three state tournament appearances - thus far. His 2017 SSHS Bobcats team was the Class 3-A Boys Basketball State Champion runner-up, and in 2018 his team won it all and were crowned “Boys 3-A Basketball State Champions.” The bobcats were the favorites to win the championship in 2020, however, their journey to the championship was cut short by the pandemic. Impressively, Coach Cudjoe was awarded the “2018 Class 3-A Small School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.” You will hear coach Cudjoe say without reservation: “The wins and championships are great, but I am forever most proud of all of my students and student-athletes that I have been blessed to teach, coach, guide, and mentor even to this very day.”