G Juan Munoz (’24) handles the rock against UC San Diego during his final season with the Rainbow Warriors. The sharpshooting guard was added to the UH coaching staff on Thursday as the new Director of Player Development. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Former standout guard Munoz comes back to UH as new Director of Player Development

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JUNE 21, 2025

HONOLULU – Juan big return.

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball program announced the addition of Juan Munoz to the coaching staff on June 19, tabbing the former Rainbow Warrior guard as the new Director of Player Development. Munoz, who spent three years with UH as a player, takes over for former Director of Player Development Zerrion Payton and will work with student-athletes on and off the court.

“We are ecstatic to welcome Juan back to our program as he begins his coaching career,” Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot said in a release. “He has a clear love for the islands, this university, and this great game and is looking forward to working with our student-athletes.”

As the Director of Player Development, Munoz will be directly involved in helping set the team’s nutrition, strength and conditioning and skills training. The Morrisville, North Carolina native will also have a hand in alumni relations, marketing and recruiting for the Rainbow Warriors, providing another younger voice on the staff to connect with others in the ever-changing landscape of college basketball.

Munoz is the third former Rainbow Warrior to play for Ganot to return to the program in an official coaching capacity and will be one of two former UH standouts to sit on the bench next season, joining Gibson Johnson (’18) on the 2025-26 staff. Michael Thomas (’17), who finished his playing career as the winningest player in UH men’s basketball history, was the other Rainbow Warrior to play for Ganot to come back in a non-graduate assistant role.

Hawai’i, who was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the Big West during an up-and-down 2024-25 season, will look to a new roster to bounce back with only three players returning from last year’s squad. Munoz will get an opportunity to work with a variety of strong guards with different skill sets and gives a younger voice to a staff that will look to develop young talents in the backcourt like Aaron Hunkin-Claytor and Hunter Carter.