Putyrski named WC head men’s basketball coach

Weatherford College has hired John Putyrski as its new head men's basketball coach, Athletic Director Jeff Lightfoot announced Tuesday.

Putyrski brings experience across the NJCAA, NCAA Division I and professional ranks, including recent head coaching success at Florida State College at Jacksonville and overseas in Slovakia's top professional league.

"Coach Putyrski has a résumé I couldn't ignore," Lightfoot said. "John brings with him experience from all levels. He's had his hands in every aspect of a basketball program. With a recruiting network that spans the globe, I expect Coach Putyrski to make an immediate positive impact at WC."

Most recently, Putyrski served as head coach of BKM Lučenec in Slovakia's first‑division professional league during the 2025-26 season. He guided the club to a top‑six finish, recorded its highest win total since the 2016-17 season and advanced the program to its first playoff appearance since 2022.

Prior to his time in Slovakia, Putyrski led Florida State College at Jacksonville to historic success from 2023 to 2025, earning NJCAA Region 8 and Gulf South District Coach of the Year honors in both seasons. Under his direction, FSCJ posted a 58-15 record, captured back-to-back region and district championships, made the first two NJCAA national tournament appearances in school history and achieved the program's first national ranking. FSCJ recorded more wins in two seasons than the program had achieved over the previous seven years combined.

Putyrski also emphasized academic achievement, helping raise the team GPA to a program-record 3.53 while earning NJCAA All-Academic Team recognition.

At the NCAA Division I level, Putyrski served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at Arlington during the 2022–23 season, where he contributed to player development, scouting and game planning. He also held multiple roles at Illinois State University from 2019 to 2022, including assistant coach, director of basketball operations and director of player personnel.

Putyrski was also an assistant coach at Eastern Florida State College, helping guide the program to a Mid-Florida Conference championship and Region 8 tournament top seed.

Over his career, Putyrski has coached 45 college players who have gone on to play professionally, including nine in the NBA or G League.

The Chicago native holds a bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics from Illinois State University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

"Weatherford College is a premier destination and environment for student-athletes to thrive and elevate their potential," Putyrski said. "We are going to contend at the national level by recruiting the highest combined character and talent to proudly represent our campus and community on the court. I am excited to help our players pursue their educational and professional goals and am grateful to President Farmer and Athletic Director Jeff Lightfoot for the opportunity to lead our student-athletes in this bright new chapter for Weatherford College men's basketball."