Director of Player Development (Men's Basketball)

Position Function:

Assist the Head Coach by providing leadership and support in the development, growth, transition, and overall success of the student-athletes. This position supports student-athlete development through individualized guidance, mentorship, film review, performance feedback, program integration, professional development, and coordination of resources that promote personal growth, team culture, and readiness for success during and after the collegiate experience.

Salary Grade : 16

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Design and implement individualized development plans for student-athletes in collaboration with the coaching staff.
   
2. Develop and implement programming that supports leadership development, personal growth, life skills, and preparation for success.
   
3. Build and maintain strong relationships with student-athletes, coaching staff, athletics staff, and other internal and external stakeholders.
   
4. Utilize film review, performance feedback, and available analytics to support individualized player development plans and reinforce areas of growth for student-athletes.
   
5. Provide individualized mentorship and guidance to student-athletes to support accountability, maturity, confidence, and adjustment to the demands of a Division I sport program.
   
6. Collaborate with coaching staff and support personnel to implement appropriate film, data, and performance information into player development efforts.
   
7. Support the personal, leadership, and overall development of student-athletes throughout their collegiate experience.
   

Position Function:

Assist the Head Coach by providing leadership and support in the development, growth, transition, and overall success of the student-athletes. This position supports student-athlete development through individualized guidance, mentorship, film review, performance feedback, program integration, professional development, and coordination of resources that promote personal growth, team culture, and readiness for success during and after the collegiate experience.

Salary Grade : 16

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Design and implement individualized development plans for student-athletes in collaboration with the coaching staff.
   
2. Develop and implement programming that supports leadership development, personal growth, life skills, and preparation for success.
   
3. Build and maintain strong relationships with student-athletes, coaching staff, athletics staff, and other internal and external stakeholders.
   
4. Utilize film review, performance feedback, and available analytics to support individualized player development plans and reinforce areas of growth for student-athletes.
   
5. Provide individualized mentorship and guidance to student-athletes to support accountability, maturity, confidence, and adjustment to the demands of a Division I sport program.
   
6. Collaborate with coaching staff and support personnel to implement appropriate film, data, and performance information into player development efforts.
   
7. Support the personal, leadership, and overall development of student-athletes throughout their collegiate experience.
   
8. Assist with the onboarding and transition of incoming student-athletes, including freshmen, transfers, and other new additions to the program.
   
9. Help facilitate student-athlete integration into the culture, expectations, and daily operations of the sport program.
   
10. Assist student-athletes in understanding film and performance feedback in a manner that supports skill growth, decision-making, accountability, and overall development.
    
11. Serve as a resource for student-athletes in identifying and accessing appropriate support services within athletics and across the University.
    
12. Collaborate with coaches and athletics staff to support student-athlete well-being, retention, engagement, and overall program development.
    
13. Support a positive team culture by reinforcing program standards, expectations, and values.
    
14. Assist with special projects and operational needs of the sport program, as assigned by the Head Coach.
    
15. Ensure all assigned responsibilities are carried out in compliance with NCAA, SEC, University, and departmental policies and regulations.
    
16. Perform other duties as assigned.
    

Supervisory Responsibility
This position may supervisor student workers/managers.

The above essential duties are representative of major duties of positions in this position. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job. Not all the duties may be assigned to a position.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in related field with five (5) years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Significant experience in collegiate and/or professional sports.
   
2. Experience in player development, coaching, leadership development, or student-athlete mentoring at the Division I, NBA, NFL, MLB, international professional, or comparable elite level.
   
3. Experience working with high-level student-athletes or professional athletes in areas such as player transition, personal development, leadership development, and performance culture.
   
4. Collegiate and/or professional head coaching, assistant coaching, player development, or basketball operations experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

1. Knowledge of NCAA and SEC rules and regulations.
   
2. Knowledge of player development principles and the demands of high-level basketball environments.
   
3. Ability to mentor, motivate, and build effective relationships with student-athletes.
   
4. Ability to support the development of leadership, accountability, and team culture.
   
5. Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
   
6. Ability to work effectively with coaches, staff, and campus partners.
   
7. Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion and professionalism.
   
8. Ability to travel extensively and work long and irregular hours.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• No unusual physical requirements. Requires occasional or light lifting; nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.
• Frequent - Externally imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one's control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position; involves conflict-resolution or similar interactions involving emotional issues or stress on a regular basis.
• Job occasionally requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.
• Job occasionally requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically.
• Ability to travel extensively.

Instructions for Applying:

Please attach your resume and cover letter to the application.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.

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