Coaching Staff

Jim Hayford, Head Coach
E-mail Coach Hayford at jhayford@whitworth.edu

Already the second-winningest coach in Whitworth men's basketball history after only seven seasons at the helm, Jim Hayford has made an indelible mark in the Pirate program.

Through the 2007-08 season Hayford has a record of 140-46 and a winning percentage of .753 at Whitworth. He has coached the Pirates to five 20-win seasons, three Northwest Conference titles and has earned three NWC Coach of the Year awards.

During the 2007-08 season Hayford coached Whitworth to its second consecutive Northwest Conference title and second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament, where the Pirates advanced to the Sectional Semifinals (third round). Whitworth finished 21-7 overall and Hayford earned his third NWC Coach of the Year award.

In 2006-07 he led Whitworth to a 24-4 record and a conference title, earning his second NWC Coach of the Year honor. His team set a school record for single-season winning percentage (.857). The Pirates advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing at the eventual third place finisher by only two points.

In his second season (2002-03) he led Whitworth to the basketball promised land, directing the Bucs to a 23-4 record, a Northwest Conference title and an appearance in the 2003 NCAA Division III Tournament, earning his first Coach of the Year award.

In 2005-06 he coached the team to a 20-7 record and to within a game of the NCAA tournament. The Pirates also just missed one of six at-large bids to the 2003-04 NCAA Division III tournament after the team's third straight top-two finish in the NWC and a 19-6 overall record. Hayford also had the second-best inaugural season start in the history of Whitworth men's basketball coaches. In his first season as the head coach at Whitworth, Hayford led the Pirates to a record of 20-7 and a second place finish in the NWC. The only coach to start better was Art Smith, who's 1954-55 team finished 21-4 and went to the NAIA national tournament.

The 2004-05 season may have been Hayford's greatest challenge, but also possibly his greatest accomplishment. Rebuilding his team with only one returning starter, Hayford coached the Pirates to five straight wins to end the season, turning an overall record of 8-11 and an NWC mark of 4-7 into 13-11 and 9-7 finishes.

During his seven seasons leading the Pirates, Hayford has coached four Northwest Conference Players of the Year: Bryan Depew (2003), Lance Pecht (2006), Bryan Williams (2007) and Ryan Symes (2008). During the same period, 15 Whitworth players have earned All-NWC honors, including 11 First Team selections.

Prior to coming to Whitworth, Hayford was head coach at the University of Sioux Falls (SD), where he compiled a 37-27 record in two seasons. During his inaugural season (1999-2000) he led the Cougars to their first conference playoff appearance in five years. The team finished 15-15 after losing in the SDIC championship game. Hayford's Cougars finished the 2000-01 season at 22-12 and lost to the eventual NAIA Division II champions (Northwestern College of Iowa) in double overtime in the Great Plains Athletic Conference championship game. His team set a school record for wins in a season. Prior to Hayford's arrival, USF was 9-17 in 1998-99.

Hayford served as the top assistant coach at Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) from 1990-99. APU won seven consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference titles during that time and advanced to the NAIA Division I Final Four in each of his final two seasons there.

Hayford also coached at the high school level, leading Contra Costa Christian High School in 1987 and Berea Christian High School from 1988-1990.

Hayford earned his M.A. of Education from Claremont Graduate School in 1991. He earned his B.A. in Social Science from Azusa Pacific in 1989.

Craig Fortier, Assistant Coach
Craig Fortier has completed his first season (2007-08) as an assistant coach in the Pirate program, helping lead the team to a 21-7 overall record and a Northwest Conference title and appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Fortier came to Whitworth from Colorado State University, where he served as an administrative assistant for the men's basketball team last season, coordinating film sessions and all video scouting reports among other responsibilities. Prior to his time at CSU, Fortier was a graduate assistant for Gonzaga University for two seasons.

Fortier was also formerly an assistant coach at Cal State - Monterey Bay for the 2003-2004 season, the same school for which he played and from which he graduated. He was the Otters' most inspirational player as a senior.

While a G.A. at Gonzaga, Fortier completed his Master's degree in Sport and Athletic Administration.

"Craig has great experience with coaches I really respect and comes highly recommended," said Whitworth head coach Jim Hayford. "He has tremendous energy and passion for the game and we are fortunate to have him join our program."

Coaching is an important part of Fortier's family. His wife Lisa was just named to the women's basketball staff at Gonzaga.

Jon Hayes, Assistant Coach
A 1997 graduate of Maine-Farmington, Hayes most recently served as the Head Men's Basketball coach at Division III University of New England in Biddeford, Maine from 2004-07. His teams were among the top two defensive teams in the Commonwealth Coast Conference in each of his three seasons. Prior to UNE, he served as assistant men's coach at Univ. of Maine under current LaSalle coach John Giannini, helping lead the Black Bears to the second 20-win season in the history of the program and an appearance in the America East championship game.

Hayes served for five years as an assistant coach at Maine-Farmingon where he helped establish a defense system that now consistently ranks in the top 10 nationally in defensive field goal percentage.

Hayes earned at Master's degree in Sport Administration from Central Michigan University in 2000.

Casey Kushiyama, Assistant Coach
A graduate and former player at Linfield College, Kushiyama brings three years of coaching experience with the Wildcats. During his three season's as an assistant under Larry Doty, Kushiyama carried responsibility as the JV head coach.

As a Linfield player, Kushiyama served as a team captain during his senior season and he set a school record with seven steals in one game. He was also selected as his team's Most Inspirational player.

He graduated from Linfield with an education degree and currently is working toward his M.ed through Grand Canyon University.

Josh Woollett, Graduate Assistant
Currently working towards a degree in Sport Management at Washington State University, Woollett brings three years of high school coaching experience to the Whitworth program. He was a varsity assistant coach and head JV coach at Colton High School for two years. Last year he assisted at East Valley High School in Spokane Valley, where he graduated in 2002. He was a two-year letter-winner in both basketball and football for the Knights.