Zachary hopp is entering his first season on Ryan Pannone's Arkansas State men's basketball staff in 2025-26, joining the program as Director of Analytics and Strategy.
Hopp joins the Red Wolves after spending the last three seasons at Ole Miss, including two as coordinator of operations for scouting and analytics, with the women's basketball program which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament this past season. In each of his three seasons in Oxford, the Rebels won 22-plus games with a total of 71 wins and three NCAA Tournament berths, twice reaching the Sweet 16.
"Zachary Hopp comes to us from Ole Miss, bringing a wealth of experience," Pannone said. "He'll be involved in our analytics and strategy and game preparation. Zach is someone within our program who wears a lot of hats and takes on all fires. We're really lucky to get him to be a part of this program. To be able to leave the SEC to come here was a huge steal for us as we try to remain one of the most analytically driven college programs in the country. His understanding and ability to drive and track data for us while figuring out how to implement that into game plan strategy will be key for us."
Hopp also has international experience as he served as an assistant coach with the senior women's Bahamian National Team in the Summer of 2024 alongside Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. In 2019 as an assistant coach with Athletes in Action, he worked with Roger Powell Jr., Wayne Simien and Bill Peterson on their AIA trip to Israel, allowing him a unique opportunity to develop overseas basketball knowledge, preparation, practice, and leadership qualities.
Prior to his stint at Ole Miss, Hopp spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., helping the Ichabods to two NCAA Division-II Tournaments and a 2021 MIAA Tournament title. During his first season, Washburn handed four-time national champion Northwest Missouri State two of their lone three losses over a 100-game span.
From 2018-20, Hopp served as a women's basketball student manager at the University of Kansas. With the Jayhawks, he assisted in organizing and managing events from recruiting, team meals, travel, banquets, golf tournaments, and the Brandon Schneider Basketball Camps.
Each summer since 2016, Hopp has worked with a team during The Basketball Tournament (TBT) on ESPN – a $2-million, winner-take-all tournament. From 2017-2024, Hopp has served as an assistant coach for Eberlein Drive that has included appearances to the championship game, Final 4, Super 16, and Elite 8. Hopp has coached alongside four NBA experienced coaches in Jordan Surenkamp, Cody Toppert, Matt Brase, and Justin Wetzel. The Drive is well known for their elite offense that in 2021, led the entire tournament in scoring (90.7 points per game), field goal percentage (56.7%) and 3-point percentage (52.3%).
Hopp earned his master's degree in sport analytics in 2023 from the University of Mississippi and his bachelor's degree in sport management from the University of Kansas in 2021, along with a minor in business. He is joined on staff alongside his wife Ashton, who serves as A-State's Director of Operations.
