College & HS Coaches

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Meet our

COACHING STAFF

Each of the coaches in our prestigious event are from some of the top college and high school programs in the country. Below are some of the coaches expected to join us in Hawaii for the Hawaii Hoopfest. There will also be outstanding high school coaches that are selected by our staff.

If you are a high school or college coach and are interested in bringing a team to the Hawaii Hoopfest, please contact us. Each coach is required to bring a team of at least 8 players to attend our event. Call us at 918-608-8800 for more info.

ZAC EXUME

Head Women’s Basketball Coach
St. Ambrose University – Iowa
Davenport, IA

The Hawaii Hoopfest is proud to announce the addition of coach Zac Exume to our coaching staff. We’re excited to have coaches Exume’s basketball expertise in Hawaii.

Coach Zac Exume is in his second season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at St. Ambrose University. He was the head coach at Thomas University and an assistant at University of Arkansas at Monticello, Cincinnati Christian University and Miami University. He is also the author of the book “A Consistent and Successful Coaching Philosophy” published in 2017.

JOHN PUTYRSKI

Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Florida State College at Jacksonville – Florida
Jacksonville, FL

John Putyrski is entering his second season leading the Florida State College at Jacksonville Men’s Basketball program after a historic first season in 2023-2024, where the team tied the most wins in school history (26) and advanced to its first ever national tournament in school history.

Coach Putyrski has also coached at University of Texas at Arlington, Illinois State University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and Illinois State.

In his 13 years in college basketball, Putyrski has coached and worked with 44 players who have gone on to play professionally, including 13 at the NBA and G-League levels. He most notably led the 3-year on court development of 2021-22 Missouri Valley All-Conference leading scorer Antonio Reeves—a fellow Chicago native. Reeves went on to star at the University of Kentucky before being drafted 47^th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2024 NBA Draft, assistant coach at Eastern Florida State College.

BILL TRIPLETT

Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Williston State College – North Dakota
Williston, ND

Bill Triplett is the head women’s basketball coach at Williston State College in Williston, North Dakota. With part of his 5th season at the helm of the Tetons underway, Coach Triplett’s current won/loss record at Williston State currently stands at 85 wins and 42 losses. Coach Triplett coached 10 years at Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota.

Triplett spent 28 years coaching at the high school level spanning back to 1980 where he started his basketball coaching career. Coach Triplett has taken his Montana high school teams to the state tournament eleven times, winning three state championships and finishing second another three times. His high school girls’ basketball coaching record in Montana is 433 wins and 52 losses and includes fifteen district championships, eight divisional championships and two state championships. Triplett also has a boys’ basketball record in Montana of 259 wins and 122 losses with seven district titles, two divisional championships and another state championship.

JESSICA EATON

Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Florida State College at Jacksonville – Florida
Jacksonville, FL

Jessica Eaton will enter her fourth year as a part of the women’s basketball program for Florida State College at Jacksonville. Eaton has been with the FSCJ women’s basketball team since 2021, handling recruiting, player development, and many of the team’s day-to-day operations.

Eaton stepped away from coaching for a few years to focus on her family and raising her children, but her basketball background runs deep in Central Florida. She last served as an assistant coach at Oviedo High School in 2015, junior varsity coach and varsity assistant coach at Hagerty High School from 2009-12, and started her career at Lyman High School in 2008. Eaton was also involved in the AAU circuit, having coached with the D.E.B.O. program from 2008-10 and worked for Winning Ways as the summer camp director from 2011-13.

DONNIE BOSTWICK

Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK

“I have known the staff of the Hawaii Hoopfest for the past 24 years. They are awesome people who you can trust. I’ve traveled with them on this trip to Hawaii and I can tell you first hand that it will be a one of the highlights of your athletic career. They made it so easy to just coach my team while they took care of all the other details. I enjoyed getting to know not only the players on my team but players and coaches from other teams from all over the U.S.”

I look forward to traveling again this summer to the Hawaii HoopFest.”

Coach Bostwick’s team is currently ranked #1 in the Nation in the latest NAIA Poll. He has won two National Championships and been named National Coach of the Year in 2009.

GARY HENDRIX

Head Basketball Coach
Hilldale High School
Muskogee, OK

“I’ve been part of several trips with the Hoopfest staff. I always look forward to Hawaii. Parents will get to see their son or daughter play basketball in one of the most beautiful place on earth. This will be a great family experience.”

JORDAN HILL

Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Hulbert, OK

“I’ve had a chance to be part of the staff of the Hawaii Sports events for the past 5 years. The organization of each event has been amazing. I feel like each athlete has an experience that far exceeded their expectations. I want to encourage every athlete and coach who’s invited to take advantage of this opportunity.”

JAYSON ARTAZ

Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Bethel College
North Newton, KS

Jayson Artaz is in his seventh year as head coach of the Bethel men’s basketball program. Artaz has led the Threshers to five seasons of 20 wins or more while leading the team to a regular season conference championship in the 2020-21 season.

The overall win total of 136 makes him the winningest coach in Bethel College History. Artaz has also led the Threshers to the conference championship game and national tournament berths 4 of the last 5 years.

Coach Artaz graduated from Bethel College in 2005 with a degree in elementary education. As a player, Jayson was a 2nd Team All-Conference player in 2005 and a key contributor on the 2003 conference championship team and national tournament qualifier. He is still the program’s single-season three-point holder, draining 96 total in 2004-05. He and his wife Lauren (’07 BC graduate) reside in Newton with their children Payton and Landon.

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TROY THRASHER

Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Dallas College Richland
Dallas, TX

The Hawaii Hoopfest is excited to have coach Troy Thrasher bring his experience and expertise to the island with over 33 years of coaching.

Coach Thrasher is entering his 22^ndyear of college coaching. His overall coaching record is 303-154 and has had 21 All Conference Player’s, 13 All Region Player’s, 4 All American’s, 15 All League Player’s, 3 All State Player’s and in 2016 his team was Region IV Champions qualifying them for the National Tournament. He has experience abroad representing the USA in Ireland, Italy, Spain and Australia coaching Select basketball teams.

WESLEY PITTMAN

Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Dyersburg State Community College
Dyersburg, TN

The Hawaii Hoopfest is excited to announce the addition of Coach Wesley Pittman to the Hoopfest Coaching staff!

Coach Pittman was hired as the head coach at Dyersburg State in May of 2025. He has been the associate head coach at Division 2 Limestone University from 2019-2025, spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Eastern Florida State College. During his time with the Titans, he helped lead the team to an overall record of 58-13 which included two Mid-Florida Conference Championships and an appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Championship Final Four. Coach Pittman has also been a part of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and University of Florida Men’s Basketball Programs. Prior to his time at Eastern Florida, Pittman served one year as the video coordinator for the University. Pittman began his coaching career at Metrolina Christian Academy in Indian Trail, N.C. where he served as an assistant coach for the varsity basketball team.