Zachary Hopp is entering his second season as the volunteer assistant coach for the Washburn men’s basketball program.
In Hopp’s first season at Washburn, the team won their first MIAA Tournament title since 2012. They handed National Champion Northwest Missouri State two of their lone three losses over the past one hundred games. The Washburn team tied the program record for most three pointers made in a single season at 293 despite the shortened season. The Ichabods advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament semifinal game and finished the season with a record of 20-7 (16-6 MIAA).
From 2018-2020, Hopp served as a women’s basketball student manager at the University of Kansas. Hopp also assisted in organizing and managing events from recruiting, team meals, travel, banquets, golf tournaments, and the Brandon Schneider Basketball Camps.
Since January of 2017, Hopp has also worked with NBA Life Optimization and Shooting Coach, David Nurse elevating his video, social media, and basketball expertise by building Nurses’ 1%er lifestyle brand. In the Summer of 2019, Hopp assisted Nurse with NBA workouts in Los Angeles training Kelly Olynyk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Domantas Sabonis, and various other NBA/overseas professionals.
He gained even more valuable experience in 2019 working with Athletes in Action as an assistant coach. Hopp collaborated with Roger Powell Jr., Wayne Simien, and Bill Peterson on their AIA trip to Israel. This allowed him a unique chance to develop overseas basketball knowledge, preparation, practice, and leadership qualities.
Each summer since 2016, Hopp has worked with a team during The Basketball Tournament (TBT) on ESPN, the $2 Million, Winner-Take-All tournament. In 2016 and 2017, he served as the social media coordinator for Team FOE led by Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, and Thomas Robinson. This led to a video coordinator opportunity with the Stickmen in 2017 as well as editing video for staff including Michael Rapaport, NBA coaches, and other professional basketball players. The Stickmen then returned to their original name Eberlein Drive.
Hopp was the lone addition to the staff in 2018, an organization that had never passed the second round of the tournament. Nurse gave him the reigns when it came to preparation, scouting, practice planning, play calls, and in-game adjustments. During the tournament, Eberlein Drive made it all the way to the championship game before falling to four-time defending champion, Overseas Elite. The next summer, Hopp returned to Eberlein Drive as a lead assistant coach on a run that lasted to the Elite 8. In 2020, the team was eliminated days prior to the tournament on a positive COVID test. During their 2021 run, Eberlein Drive made it to the Super 16. Hopp coached alongside three NBA experienced coaches Cody Toppert, Matt Brase, and Justin Wetzel. The drive led the entire tournament in PPG at 90.7, FG% at 56.7%, and 3PT% at 52.3%.
Off the court, Hopp serves as a campus minister with Called to Greatness, a campus organization at Washburn connected with Community Church. Hopp earned his bachelor’s degree with distinction in sport management and a business minor from the University of Kansas in 2021.
