With the first practice less than a week away, second-year Brooklyn College Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Jeff Jean-Baptiste, recently announced two additions to his staff. The program welcomes veteran coach, CJ Council, and first-year college coach, Joshua Wizwer, as assistant coaches for the upcoming season.
Beginning his basketball coaching career right out of high school, CJ Council has already built an extensive coaching resume over almost two decades. Most recently, Council has been a varsity assistant coach and Head Coach of a junior varsity program at Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn that compiled a 43-5 record in two seasons and appeared in back-to-back city championship games, capturing a title in 2018.
“CJ is an experienced coach who brings a wealth of knowledge that our players can thrive off of,” Coach Jean-Baptiste would comment. “His network within the grassroots of New York City basketball will also help our recruiting efforts moving forward.”
Prior to Bishop Loughlin, Coach Council served as Head Coach of the junior varsity at his alma mater, Christ the King High School, from 2011-2015. He helped lead the squad to three city and state titles. Council began his coaching career at CTK with the junior varsity in the Fall after graduating from the Queens high school.
No stranger to the college game, Council was an assistant coach at Division I Manhattan College from 2008-2011. He also has experience as an assistant in the CUNYAC with former member, New York City Tech. Following his stint at NYC Tech, he served as a graduate assistant with Division I St. John’s University from 2006-2008 where he would earn his MA in Education Administration. Council also has his BA in Sports Management from St. John’s.
In addition to coaching at the high school and college levels, Council has been the Head Coach of different age groups for a number of high profile AAU programs based in New York City including the NY Rens and the Metro Hawks.
Coach Council has volunteered for numerous camps and clinics, and is a member of the USA Basketball Youth Development Program. In 2017, Council founded Pre-Game Elite Sports, a nonprofit organization geared toward helping youths in underserved communities receive guidance through sports camps and clinics.
A recent graduate of SUNY Cortland with a degree in Physical Education, Joshua Wizwer joins the Bulldogs after serving as team manager for his alma mater for three years. He was part of a program that won the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title and earned a NCAA Tournament berth in 2015.
“We look forward to Joshua’s energy and enthusiasm at practice every day,” Coach Jean-Baptiste would comment on the first-year college coach. “His willingness to learn and ability to pick things up quickly have already been an asset to program and will be important for his progression as a young coach.”
Prior to attending Cortland, Coach Wizwer played collegiately at Dutchess Community College.
Coach Wizwer has interned with Five Star Basketball Camps and also coached at a number of their sessions hosted by Fordham University.
An Ossining, NY native, Wizwer is currently a middle school physical education teacher in Brooklyn.
The Bulldogs tip-off the 2019-20 Season at the West Quad Gymnasium on November 12 at 7pm against William Paterson University.
