River Men’s Basketball Welcomes Payton Hulsey as Assistant Coach

FORT PIERCE, FL – Indian River State College Head Men's Basketball Coach Travis Jackson has announced the hiring of Payton Hulsey as the newest assistant coach for the The River men's basketball program.

 

Hulsey arrives at Indian River State College with an impressive resume built on one consistent theme—winning.

 

As a player, Hulsey enjoyed success at every level of his career. He was a High School State Champion before continuing his career at Eastern Florida State College, where he was part of one of the winningest eras in program history. During his time with the Titans, Hulsey helped lead the program to the most wins in school history, establishing himself as one of the premier guards in the state.

 

His outstanding junior college career earned him a NCAA Division I scholarship to the College of Charleston, where he continued competing at the highest level while further developing his leadership and basketball IQ.

Following his playing career, Hulsey quickly established himself as one of the top young coaches in the country. Most recently serving as an assistant coach at Keiser University, he helped guide the Seahawks to an outstanding 51-12 record over the past two seasons. During that span, Keiser captured back-to-back Coach of the Year honors, while also producing both a Conference Player of the Year and Conference Defensive Player of the Year—a testament to the program's excellence on both ends of the floor.

 

Hulsey will assist The River in all facets of the program, including recruiting, player development, scouting, game preparation, and academic accountability.

 

"We're thrilled to welcome Payton to The River Family here at Indian River State College," said Head Coach Travis Jackson. "Payton understands what it takes to build and sustain winning programs because he's lived it. He's won as a player, he's won as a coach, and he's been part of championship cultures everywhere he's been. More importantly, he's a tremendous person who genuinely cares about developing young men. His passion, work ethic, and basketball knowledge make him an outstanding addition to our staff, and I couldn't be more excited to have him join our program."

 

Hulsey expressed his excitement about joining The River and contributing to the continued growth of the program. "I want to thank Coach Jackson, Athletic Director Scott Kimmelman, and the entire administration for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Indian River State College has built a culture centered around accountability, relationships, and excellence. I'm excited to get to work alongside Coach Jackson and help our student-athletes reach their full potential both on and off the court."

 

The addition of Hulsey comes at an exciting time for The River Men's Basketball Program. Under Coach Jackson's leadership, Indian River State College is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, highlighted by a return to the FCSAA State Tournament, the highest team GPA in program history, a 100% graduation rate among its sophomore class, and multiple student-athletes advancing to the NCAA Division I level.

 

With one of the countries brightest young coaching minds joining the staff, the future continues to be bright for Indian River State College Men's Basketball as The River prepare for the 2026-27 season.

 

Please join us in welcoming Coach Payton Hulsey to the River Family!

 

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