Providence, R.I.—Rhode Island College Head Men's Basketball Coach Sam Ferry has announced the additions of Kevin Payette '06, Lawrence McGill '20 and Tyriek Weeks '26 to his coaching staff. The trio will serve as assistant men's basketball coaches.
 
"We hit three home runs this offseason by hiring Kevin, Lawrence and Tyriek to our coaching staff," Ferry said. "They embody the enthusiasm and selfless spirit that we want our teams to consistently demonstrate on the court. They also complement each other in a way from which our student-athletes will certainly benefit. And all three coaches have Rhode Island College degrees, so they each have a unique appreciation for how special this place is."
 
Payette joins the Anchormen after an 11-year stint as the head coach at Blackstone Valley Prep School. "I could not be more grateful to have Kevin join our staff," Ferry said. "He knows what it means to wear the Rhode Island College jersey and he cares deeply about this program. He also brings an important perspective having played on more than one of those teams responsible for hanging banners in The Murray Center."
 
After founding the program in 2014, BVP won a Coast Prep League title in 2018 and captured several regular season titles. Payette was tabbed the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Div. III Coach of the Year in 2019. He served a stint as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Wyoming and was an assistant coach at Bishop O'Connell High School.
 
The Woonsocket, R.I. native closed out his collegiate career having played in 107 career games, starting 70 of them, at RIC from 2001-06. He totaled 932 career points, 412 rebounds, 91 steals and 164 assists. He averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.5 assists per game for his career.
 
He earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Rhode Island College in 2006. In addition to his coaching duties, Payette is a health and physical education teacher at Blackstone Valley Prep High School.
 
McGill, a New Haven, Conn. native, has served as a coach and co-director of basketball operations with the New Haven Heat Basketball program since 2014, being heavily involved in player development, recruiting and mentorship and helping student-athletes reach the collegiate level at NCAA Division II and III programs, as well as the junior college level. Through his work with the Heat, McGill helped develop players both on and off the court, while guiding them through the recruiting process.
 
"We are thrilled that Lawrence is joining our men's basketball program here at Rhode Island College," Ferry stated. "Not only is he an experienced coach, but his relationships throughout the region will also serve our recruiting efforts well. He is eager and grateful for the opportunity. Simply put, we hit a home run hiring Lawrence McGill on our staff."
 
McGill spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant boys basketball coach at Amistad High School under Head Coach Ryan Ott. The team finished 14-8 and advanced to the second round of the Connecticut state playoffs.
 
As a former collegiate athlete, McGill earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science from Eastern Connecticut in 2017, where he was a four-time All-Little East and five-time All-New England Alliance selection in track and field. He earned his master's degree in mathematics from Rhode Island College in 2020.
 
In addition to his coaching duties, McGill has spent the past eight years working in higher education in institutional research and analytics. 
 
Weeks joins the coaching staff after concluding his collegiate playing career with the Anchormen last winter. He averaged 14.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.3 apg and led the squad with 37 blocks.
 
"Tyriek is a star in the making," Ferry said, "and he embodies everything that we value here at Rhode Island College. He is humble, hungry and as selfless as they come. He also has a natural and authentic way of connecting with people. I am so happy for our players that he now gets to impact our program in his new role as an assistant coach."
 
Prior to his Anchorman career, the Warwick, R.I. native played two seasons at Rider and one at Miami Dade.
 
He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Rhode Island College in 2026.