HONOLULU — University of Hawai’i men’s basketball head coach Eran Ganot has announced the hiring of Zerrion Payton as the Rainbow Warriors’ new Director of Player Development.
Payton comes to Manoa with experience at the high school, AAU and collegiate levels. He most recently served as a graduate assistant at Utah Valley University during the 2023-24 season. Prior to that, he coached at prep powerhouses AZ Compass in Chander, Ariz., and Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., where he helped develop a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans. He also spent time as a head coach on the Adidas 3ssb Circuit.
“Zerrion possesses outstanding work ethic, character and intelligence and has a clear passion for mentorship, the profession, and this awesome game,” Ganot said. “After a successful playing career, he’s earned a terrific reputation for his ability to develop and build strong relationships with players. He’s a perfect fit and the type of person we want to be around our student-athletes. We couldn’t be more happy to welcome Zerrion to our ‘ohana.”
A native of Oakland, Calif., Payton was a standout player at Salt Lake Community College before moving on to Westminster, also in Salt Lake City, for his final two seasons. He earned all-conference honors at both schools, while playing in 115 total games.
As UH’s Director of Player Development, Payton will help foster the growth of UH’s student-athletes both on and off the court. He will also work in a number of other areas, including alumni relations, marketing, team nutrition, strength and conditioning, scouting and recruiting.
Payton is the nephew of NBA Hall of Fame guard Gary Payton and the cousin of current Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II.
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