Grand Canyon men’s basketball head coach Bryce Drew announced the addition of four members to the program’s support staff, providing valuable services in key areas of the program’s day-to-day operations.
The four staff members join a list of recent hires within the program that also includes Drew and assistant coaches Jamall Walker, Ed Schilling and Casey Shaw. The newest members of the staff include:
- Ryne Lightfoot, director of player development
- Achoki Moikobu, director of recruiting
- Peyton Prudhomme, director of video operations
- Jordan Jackson, associate director of sports performance
Lightfoot spent eight seasons at his alma mater, Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. After serving as an assistant coach under his father for six seasons, Lightfoot was elevated to head coach at the NAIA school for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, leading the Pilots to a mark of 43-21. During his tenure, Bethel went 171-65, claimed three league titles and made two trips to the quarterfinals of the NAIA national tournament.
“I’m excited to be a part of the GCU men’s basketball program,” Lightfoot said. “To help serve and support both our student-athletes and coaching staff to maximize their gifts is a true honor. I’m blessed to be around such men of faith and a high-character coach like Bryce Drew. He is a tremendous leader and high-relationship coach that invests in his players and staff beyond just basketball. We are excited about the future of GCU both institutionally and athletically and how men’s basketball can play a role in continuing to create a vibrant future together.”
A standout guard for the Pilots, Lightfoot is in the program’s record books with 2,075 points (10th all-time) and 702 assists (fifth all-time). He was a five-time All-American at Bethel and was the 2010 NCCAA Pete Maravich Award winner, presented to the men’s basketball student-athlete recognized for excellence in competition, skill, academics and Christian service during his career.
Moikobu is a native of Seattle, Washington, and spent the last six years as the postgraduate head coach at Sunrise Christian Academy, a basketball prep power in Bel Aire, Kansas. During his time leading the program, he coached 28 players who ascened to Division I.
“I am very grateful and excited to be given the opportunity to join the Grand Canyon University men’s basketball staff,” Moikobu said. “I look forward to playing my role in helping the program go from good to great while we continue to align with the overall mission of GCU.”
Moikobu played at Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas, where he was a 41% 3-point shooter with 91 makes in two seasons.
Prudhomme spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant for Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew, who is Bryce’s older brother. Prudhomme’s day-to-day responsibilities included cutting film, leading player development workouts, helping direct team camps, scouting opponents and compiling player highlights. In the 2019-20 season, the Bears held the nation’s longest No. 1 ranking streak at five weeks.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining Coach Drew’s staff,” Prudhomme said. “His work ethic and knowledge of the game are two qualities that make him a great coach. Grand Canyon is a very special place that added a dynamic leader.”
Prudhomme’s playing career took place at Texas Wesleyan in Forth Worth, where he helped lead his team to the 2017 NAIA Division I national championship. He is the grandson of former LSU men’s basketball head coach Dale Brown, a member of the Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame like the Drews’ father, Homer.
Jackson joins GCU’s sports performance staff as an associate director for sports performance and will serve as the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s basketball program. He spent the last five years as a men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach in the Pac-12 with stops at California and UCLA.
“I’m excited to be here,” Jackson said. “The opportunity to win and help GCU go to its first NCAA tournament is amazing. I’ve already started to work with a couple of our guys through voluntary workouts, and we are all hyped to get after it and build the program under Coach Drew.”
Jackson started his career in collegiate athletics at his alma mater CSU Northridge. He also spent five years as an assistant command fitness leader with the U.S. Navy, working in Nevada and Bahrain. He conducted daily physical training sessions for all command personnel and trained more than 60 military members in CPR.
