The role has been created after British Basketball and England Basketball joined together to hire Cann to become the conduit between British Basketball's Performance Management Group (PMG) and the Home Countries.

The PPC will provide the link between the British Basketball programme and the key elite development structures.

Cann, who is due to start his new role later this month, will work with key partners and PMG members in the development and production of the programme curriculum for advanced apprenticeship in sporting excellence (AASE), area performance centres (APC), elite development programmes (EDP) and regional institutes of basketball (RIB).

He said: "This is an exciting yet challenging opportunity to help position performance basketball in the UK in reaching its full potential.

"I look forward to using my experience, skills and knowledge in helping the home nations' talented athletes and coaches have more opportunites through quality programs and coaching; so that they are all as prepared as possible for acheiveing the best results in future international competitions."

Cann's most recent role has been manager of regional services at the Queensland Academy of Sport, leading the strategic and operational planning for elite regional athletes and coaches.

He has 12 years of high performance management elite coaching experience as well as 20 years experience of managing development programmes at local, state and national levels.

Cann has also coached at various levels including experience at Basketball Australia's Intensive Training Centres and at a professional level.

He was previously awarded New South Wales Coach of the Year.

Cann is the third Australian appointed to a key role by basketball in Britain in the build-up to London 2012.

In February 2007 Murray Treseder was appointed as the head coach of Britain's men's Paralympic team and in May this year Tom Maher was put in charge of the women's squad.

Ron Wuotila, head of operations for British Basketball, said: "We are thrilled to have Warwick on board.

"He has a rich basketball and elite performance background that will allow him to hit the ground running.

"There is a lot of work ahead of us and Warwick has the experience and talents to lead on key programme development."

Keith Mair, the chief executive of England Basketball, said: "We're really looking forward to Warwick's arrival.

"He has the coaching and elite development skills and experience that we urgently need in order to have the 11 AASE basketball delivering institutions up and running for the coming season, and to expand and improve the Area Performance Centres."