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Get to Know Your Fellow A&P Colleagues - John Putyrski

May 15, 2024, 10:40 AM

The Administrative & Professional Collaborative (APC) is the representative voice for the Administrative & Professional employees of FSCJ. In an effort to build cohesiveness, awareness and collegiality, each month we put a “spotlight” on one of our members. 

FSCJ Men’s Basketball Coach John Putyrski joined the College in August 2023. Under his leadership, the team won the regular season and conference tournament championships, making FSCJ the FCSAA Champions for the first time in school history, and making it all the way to the national championship, upsetting No. 15-ranked Howard Community College for a first-ever national tournament victory. In addition to their achievements on the court, the team improved their grade point average from a 1.8 last spring to a program record 3.18 this past fall. They are striving to surpass that this semester to be honored as an NJCAA All-Academic team, including multiple Academic All-Americans.

John comes to Jacksonville after most recently serving as an assistant coach for the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to UT-Arlington, he served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Illinois State University. He was hired at Illinois State as video coordinator in July 2019, after serving as a student manager from 2011-16. He was promoted to director of basketball operations and then assistant coach. Additionally, John ran much of the behind-the-scenes operations of the program including overseeing academics, budget, community service, film, scheduling, travel and supervising student managers. He also worked at Eastern Florida State College and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. In his 12 years in college basketball, Putyrski has coached and worked with 35 players who have gone on to play professionally, including nine at the NBA and G-League levels.

He is a 2016 Illinois State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. He graduated from UT-Chattanooga in 2018 with a master's degree in public administration.

John is proud of his FSCJ team on their commitment to community service, having started a close mentorship program with Chappell Schools on campus, partnered with the Salvation Army of Jacksonville on multiple occasions unloading/delivering turkeys and wrapping presents/stuffing stockings to distribute during the holiday season, and volunteering at the Jacksonville Humane Society. 

"What I'm most proud of with these young men is that they really committed to a cause bigger than themselves on and off the court,” said John. “They won multiple championships and made school history, again and again. They set a team GPA record. They dutifully got out in the community to volunteer. They joyfully attended other teams' sporting events or other school clubs' performances. They pick up trash that's not theirs, hold doors for others and take off their hats and hoods when they walk inside. They'll raise a banner in our gym that will always be there, but it will commemorate more than just their basketball accomplishments."

 

Our spotlight shines on each campus/center at least once a year. Nominations for the spotlight may be directed to your campus representative or any officer. Learn more about APC on our website, http://blogs.fscj.edu/apcollaborative.