SPIRE Academy’s Basketball program is excited to announce a spate of new coaches for its upcoming season, and the most excited person of all might be Jeffrey Gonzalez, Director of Basketball at SPIRE. “I’m looking forward to our players and our coaches giving everything they’ve got this year,” says Gonzalez. “The program is off to its best start since I’ve been here.”
The new coaches at SPIRE Basketball include:
- Jay Slone, Head Coach of SPIRE Prep, Men’s Basketball
Coach Slone came to SPIRE in August. In his nine seasons of coaching, he’s helped 36 players go on to play college basketball on scholarship and five to play professionally. He has seven years coaching high school and two years coaching Division I
- Jay McMichael, Skill Development Specialist, Men’s and Women’s Basketball
With a comprehensive understanding of biomechanics, physiology and nutrition, Coach McMichael optimizes athletic performance and player development at SPIRE—designing tailored training programs that enhance skills, strength and overall athleticism.
- Jeffrey Garofalo, Head Coach, SPIRE Post Grad
Coach Garofalo’s passion for basketball is lifelong. He followed that passion after earning his degree from Syracuse University, coaching high school basketball in Chicago before spending a year in China coaching at the United States Basketball Academy.
- John Bowler, High School Assistant Coach
While this is Coach Bowler’s first year at SPIRE, he brings with him 38 years of coaching history. He spent the last 14 years as varsity head basketball coach at Edgewood High School, and was the head basketball coach at St. John High School for seven years.
- Anton Vrebac, High School Coach
Coach Vrebac comes to SPIRE from Le Moyne College, where he managed activities and travel for the basketball program. After two years as an assistant coach at Fairport Harding High School he was head coach for 2020-21, leading the school to 16 wins
- TJ Kaufmann, Assistant Coach
Coach Kaufmann joined SPIRE Men’s Basketball this past summer. He served most recently as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Northern Kentucky University (NKU) Men’s Basketball program. Before that, he was an assistant coach at Cornell College for the 2020-21 season, where he further developed his coaching skills.
That’s a lot of new talent, slated for nearly every level of basketball at SPIRE. What does this mean for the upcoming season? Coach Gonzalez: “No one is a finished product here. We pride ourselves in the development of our players. Our staff works our student athletes from sunrise to sunset, including extra workouts that enhance their individual skill sets. These talented additions to an already talented coaching staff are going to take our program to the next level.”
And with women’s college hoops garnering more national attention than ever—not to mention women’s pro basketball—we’d be remiss if we didn’t give a major shoutout to SPIRE Women’s Basketball here. Heading up the program is Krista Phillips, Head Coach and Management Consultant. And at her side is Cedric Mondjii, Assistant Coach for SPIRE Women’s Basketball.
“Women’s Basketball at SPIRE goes beyond the game,” says Phillips. “It’s about creating a culture that empowers our young women both on and off the court. By prioritizing player development, we cultivate resilience, teamwork, and leadership—essential qualities for success at the collegiate level and beyond. I want our players to leave SPIRE not only as great athletes but as well-rounded individuals, prepared to put themselves in the best position to succeed.”
Here are some SPIRE Men’s and Women’s Basketball events to keep an eye out for this season:
- Women’s Nike Tournament of Champions: December 18-21, 2024 in Phoenix, AZ. Considered the de facto National Championship for American girls’ basketball, the event will showcase 128 elite squads from across the United States, including virtually every top high school program in the West. It’s also the only regular high school basketball tournament that attracts hundreds of college basketball coaches during the winter.
- Ohio Prep Conference Matchups: SPIRE Prep and Post Grad will compete in the Ohio Prep Conference for a conference championship at the end of the year. The conference is filled with other top level Prep and Post Grad programs from in and around Ohio.
- Hoop Hall: SPIRE Prep will compete at Hoop Hall again this year on January 18 and 19, where SPIRE’s student athletes will play some of the best Prep teams in the country.
- SPIRE Prep Hosting Phelps School: On February 1, 2025, SPIRE Prep will host Phelps School, a national Top 10 Prep level team with a handful of Top 100 players.
- Big Shot Nationals: SPIRE High School Red and SPIRE High School Black will both compete at the Big Shot Nationals, to be held in South Carolina on February 28, 2025.
“If our basketball staff didn’t have it all before, it does now,” smiles Gonzalez, joyfully summing up the view from his perch atop SPIRE Men’s and Women’s Basketball. “We have so many different skill sets and so much knowledge, and that’s what I was looking for. Former Division I coaches. High level skill development trainers. Coaches connected to the grassroots of basketball. Coaches from across the country. I was able to pull together an amazing staff. What more could the Director of Basketball at the world’s best sports boarding school ask for?”
