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.

TODD FRIEND

Former Head Boy’s Soccer Coach
Fort Gibson High School
Fort Gibson, OK

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.

BILLY WHITEHEAD

Head Girl’s Soccer Coach
Fort Gibson High School
Fort Gibson, OK

Coach Putyrski has made the jump up to the Professional Basketball Coaches ranks with BMK Lučenec in Slovakia for the 2025-2026 season after a very successful stint with Florida State College at Jacksonville.

John Putyrski spent two seasons 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.