REPORTS TO: Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach and Senior Athletic Director or designee
HOURS: Dependent upon practice and game schedule as designed by Athletic Director
ASSIGNMENT: SY 26-27
STIPEND: $2,000
EXEMPT STATUS: Non Exempt
CAMPUS: High School
Summary
The Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach supports the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach in operating a safe, organized, development-focused varsity basketball program. The Assistant Coach helps teach skills and team concepts, prepare practices and competitions, supervise scholar-athletes, reinforce program culture, and complete assigned operational responsibilities. Success is measured by reliability, player development, communication, safety, compliance, record keeping, and contribution to program progress - not wins and losses alone.
Requirements
In order to be considered for the Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach position at Foundation Academies, candidates must:
- Embrace Foundation Academies' college- and career-readiness mission and core values.
- Support a disciplined, joyful, inclusive, and scholar-athlete-centered culture grounded in accountability, sportsmanship, effort, service, and equitable access.
- Teach basketball through organized instruction, clear progressions, useful feedback, and age-appropriate development.
- Accept direction from the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach, use sound judgment, maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality, and communicate effectively 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 NJSIAA 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
Program Support & Pipeline Alignment
- Support the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach's program vision and complete assigned duties for practices, contests, meetings, supervision, travel, and season operations.
- Use the varsity program's established basketball terminology, fundamentals, offensive and defensive principles, behavioral standards, and development priorities.
- Support grade 6-12 pipeline-building activities when assigned and help reinforce a consistent transition into the Foundation Academies high school boys basketball program.
- Contribute ideas through the Head Coach, support transparent player evaluation, and respect that the Head Coach makes final roster, role, strategy, and playing-time decisions.
Practice Design & Player Development
- Prepare for and carry out assigned portions of practice plans, including ball handling, passing, shooting, finishing, footwork, rebounding, defense, spacing, transition play, conditioning, and situational preparation.
- Use progressive drills, small-sided games, film, statistics, observation, and Head Coach feedback to improve instruction and competition preparation.
- Provide honest, age-appropriate feedback that develops basketball IQ, decision-making, confidence, leadership, resilience, and team-oriented habits while protecting scholar dignity.
- Support safe workload progression, recovery, injury-prevention habits, and meaningful development across the roster.
Academic, Behavioral & Family Expectations
- Reinforce academic eligibility, attendance, punctuality, preparation, respectful behavior, and healthy team habits.
- When assigned follow-up for a flagged scholar-athlete, complete a brief check-in and referral to existing support within three school days; no independent tutoring or team GPA target is required.
- Apply team and school standards consistently, document significant concerns, and coordinate discipline or family follow-up through the Head Coach and school leadership.
- Use approved communication channels, maintain professional boundaries, communicate urgent changes promptly, and route roster, disciplinary, or playing-time matters to the Head Coach.
Game Preparation & Bench Support
- Complete assigned scouting, film, warmup, matchup, substitution-tracking, scorebook, statistics, timeout, and bench-management responsibilities.
- Maintain composed, sportsmanlike conduct and reinforce positive communication with scholar-athletes, staff, officials, opponents, and spectators.
- Offer concise in-game observations through the Head Coach and support postgame review and next-practice planning.
Compliance, Safety & Procedures
- Ensure no scholar-athlete participates until the Athletics Department confirms registration, eligibility, medical clearance, and all required documentation.
- Review the site-specific emergency action plan, AED location and access, emergency communication process, and facility-evacuation procedures before the first practice and whenever facilities change.
- Inspect assigned court, basket, padding, playing-surface, scorer's-table, bench, and equipment areas before use and report concerns immediately.
- Provide active supervision from the assigned reporting time until all scholar-athletes are released through approved procedures; never leave students unsupervised.
- Follow concussion, sudden cardiac arrest, heat illness, injury-response, transportation, and return-to-play procedures; medical decisions remain with qualified medical personnel.
- Immediately notify the Head Coach and athletics leadership of serious injuries, threats, misconduct, hazing, discrimination, and other reportable incidents in accordance with school and New Jersey requirements.
Facilities, Equipment & Records Management
- Assist with gym setup, breakdown, schedules, transportation, staffing, and other operational duties assigned by the Head Coach or athletics leadership.
- Follow procedures for the care, distribution, inventory, and return of uniforms, basketballs, training aids, keys, technology, and supplies; report loss or damage promptly.
- Complete assigned attendance, roster, lineup, evaluation, emergency-contact, award, uniform, equipment, and season-closeout records accurately and by deadline.
- Support accurate score and statistics reporting using the official scorebook or designated source record; final submission responsibility remains with the Head Coach unless athletics leadership assigns otherwise.
Qualifications
- Previous basketball coaching, playing, teaching, or advanced youth-development experience is preferred.
- Working knowledge of current NFHS basketball rules, NJSIAA requirements, skill development, team concepts, and sportsmanship standards.
- Ability to implement the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach's plan, collaborate with coaching and school staff, accept feedback, and perform assigned duties reliably.
- Strong organization, communication, digital-platform, record-keeping, film or statistics, and relationship-building skills in diverse school communities.
Goals & Performance Metrics
Evaluation uses coach-controlled evidence, assigned responsibilities, and reasonable program context. Player development, reliability, safety, culture, and collaboration carry greater weight than the win-loss record.
Coach-Controlled Measures
- Safety and supervision: Review the emergency action plan and AED access before the first practice, verify clearance, inspect assigned areas before use, and report serious incidents immediately with assigned documentation by the next business day.
- Reliability and readiness: Attend at least 95% of assigned practices, competitions, meetings, and events, excluding approved absences, and arrive prepared by the established reporting time.
- Assigned duties and records: Complete all assigned practice, game, attendance, score/stat, equipment, communication, and closeout tasks by the established deadline.
- Player development: Establish one Head Coach-approved development focus for an assigned player group or basketball skill area and review progress at midseason and closeout.
- Academic support: Complete assigned check-ins or referrals for flagged athletes within three school days; no GPA or tutoring quota applies.
- Culture and sportsmanship: Model program standards, reinforce professional bench behavior, report serious conduct incidents the same day, and complete assigned follow-up promptly.
- Communication and collaboration: Confirm role responsibilities before competition, use approved channels, participate in one midseason feedback conversation, and complete one season-closeout reflection with the Head Coach.
- Basketball contribution: Set one Head Coach-approved technical, tactical, developmental, or operational goal before the first contest and review it at midseason and closeout. Wins and losses are one data point only.
Evaluation & Renewal
Performance will be reviewed by the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach and Senior Athletic Director or designee using direct observation, assigned work, program records, stakeholder feedback, compliance evidence, and the metrics above. Stipend renewal is based on program need, performance, conduct, collaboration, compliance, and continued approval.
Work Environment & Physical Expectations
The assignment requires indoor gym work, movement on hardwood courts, extended standing and supervision, basketball demonstrations, travel, work in changing crowd conditions, and reasonable handling of team equipment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.
Perform Other Responsibilities
Perform other related duties assigned by the Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach, athletics leadership, or school leadership. This description identifies the role's principal functions and is not exhaustive; duties may be adjusted for program needs, current law, school policy, and governing-body rules.
