REPORTS TO: Senior Athletic Director or designee

HOURS: Dependent upon practice and game schedule as designed

ASSIGNMENT: SY 26-27

STIPEND: $4,200

EXEMPT STATUS: Non Exempt

CAMPUS: Middle School

Summary

The Middle School Head Boys Basketball Coach leads a safe, organized, development-first program that prepares scholar-athletes for successful progression into the Foundation Academies high school boys basketball program. In close partnership with the High School Head Boys Basketball Coach, the coach teaches shared basketball vocabulary, fundamental skills, team concepts, training habits, character standards, and positional foundations while protecting age-appropriate development. Success is measured by individual growth, readiness, retention, culture, safety, communication, compliance, and program alignment - not wins and losses alone.

Requirements

In order to be considered for the Middle School Head Boys Basketball Coach position at Foundation Academies, candidates must:

Embrace Foundation Academies' college- and career-readiness mission and core values.
Lead with patience, joy, consistency, inclusion, accountability, sportsmanship, and a development-first mindset.
Teach basketball through clear progressions, high-repetition activities, useful feedback, and age-appropriate expectations.
Collaborate closely with the High School Head Boys Basketball Coach and communicate professionally with scholar-athletes, staff, families, and the community.

Certification

Appointment and approval by the local educational agency and a valid New Jersey teaching certificate or instructional substitute credential; the substitute credential currently requires at least 30 semester-hour college credits.
Current adult CPR/AED and Basic First Aid certification through an approved provider, including an in-person skills component when required.
NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching completed before first employment as a coach, unless an applicable exemption applies.
Annual NFHS Concussion in Sports and Heat Illness Prevention training.
One-time NFHS Implicit Bias and NJSIAA BeNice training, plus all school-required safety, medication-response, mandated-reporting, and emergency training.
Completion of criminal-history and employment-authorization requirements and the ability to maintain credentials throughout the assignment.

Responsibilities

Pipeline Building & Program Alignment

Meet with the High School Head Boys Basketball Coach before the season to confirm shared philosophy, terminology, player-development priorities, behavioral standards, and the middle-to-high-school transition plan.
Teach the high school program's approved principles for spacing, ball movement, creating advantages, transition play, team defense, communication, and decision-making in age-appropriate ways.
Provide regular progress updates, participate in a midseason alignment check, and complete a postseason transition summary for athletes moving toward the high school program.
Coordinate assistants and volunteers around the development plan, encourage multisport participation, and share transparent team-access information through approved school channels.

Practice Design & Player Development

Plan development-first practices that build ball handling, passing, shooting, finishing, footwork, rebounding, on-ball and help defense, spacing, transition habits, decision-making, conditioning, and basketball IQ.
Use progressive drills, small-sided games, equitable repetitions, and multiple positional experiences so players learn the game without being labeled too early.
Set one clear development focus for each scholar-athlete, provide simple midseason feedback, and document a practical next step at season closeout.
Use observation, film, practice evidence, and basic basketball data to adjust instruction while maintaining age-appropriate workload, recovery, and enjoyment.

Team Selection, Competition & Playing Time

Conduct safe, equitable tryouts using transparent criteria aligned with the high school program and considering readiness, coachability, effort, growth potential, and commitment.