Our Coaches
Steven Young
Executive Director
Coach Young is a native of Brooklyn, NY. He graduated in 2008 from Bedford Academy High School where he played varsity basketball for four years. In his last two years as captain he helped lead his team deep into the city playoffs.
Steven went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. He eventually returned to New York and finished up his college career at Kingsborough College.
In 2017, Steven joined the coaching staff at Covenant Day School as an eighth grade boys coach. In 2018, he took over as the head coach of the JV girls basketball team and was an assistant on the girls Varsity team. Coach Young is now the assistant JV boys basketball coach at Providence Day School.
Micah Barber
Director of Social Media and Communications
Micah Barber is the team's marketing and communications director as well as a 3rd year coach.
Previously a coach for Upward and Pro Skills Basketball, Coach Barber begins a new journey at Bigger Than Basketball as he seeks to make a difference in the lives of many.
Coach Barber is a junior at UNCC, where he is majoring in management, and has also spent time as a student manager for the women's basketball team.
Jonny Cooks
Director of Programs
Coach Cooks is a native of Canton, Ohio. He played basketball for Canton McKinley High School.
In 2002, during his senior year, he was a captain of the state qualifying team. Jonathan is an alumnus of
Livingstone College. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 2009.
Coach Cooks has been
coaching youth sports for over 12 years. He has coached multiple sports at all age levels from middle
school to recreational. In 2014, while serving as an assistant basketball coach at Piedmont's IB Middle
School, the team won its conference championship.
His coaching philosophy is “No Plays Off” which means to give maximum effort while on the court. This is used to show accountability, trust and teamwork. In other words, the play you take off could be the play that costs your team a game.
Players must show their teammates that they have given their all and they trust them to come into the game and keep the same level of intensity.
Recently, he has coached 4th and 10th grade AAU teams for Pro Skills Basketball.
Zaire Gilchrist
Director of Operations
Coach Zaire Gilchrist is a USA Basketball Gold Certified coach that is a Charlotte native and Myers Park High School graduate.
Zaire began coaching in 2016 to help give back to the school and community that poured into him, Trinity Episcopal School. Since then he has led 2 teams to conference championships.
Coach Gilchrist's resume also features countless NTBA, USSA, and other local tournament wins. Zaire is passionate about growth both on and off the court, and he truly believes basketball is a great vehicle and teaching tool for young men and women. Prior to coaching Zaire had spent 3 years at Walter G. Byers Elementary School after attending Liberty University.