No Fouls!

Coach Eric Berry has been a part of the basketball community in Lyndon for a long time, as a high school player, college player at Lyndon State and coaching boys and girls varsity basketball and coaching at the college level also… From his evolution as a coach to building the first sports video streaming company in Vermont, all that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

As we return for season 2 of No Fouls! We are joined by an absolute legend in long time sports writer for the Rutland Harold Tom Haley. Tom is one of the last OG’s of the sports writers in our state (my humble opinion) and we talk about getting to know coaches, writing history pieces, how the game has changed and why the spectators may be a factor in the referee shortage, some of his favorite games and the importance of guys like Ken Squier and Dave Morse to our sports community (This was recorded prior to Kens passing). Two words… “We’re Back!”

This week we sit down with the new coach of the Spaulding Crimson Tide Marcus Thornton as he prepares for his first season as a varsity coach. Why the opportunity to work with his younger brother got him into coaching, building his own AAU program, coaching at his alma mater and the palms he has for the program… All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

After high school basketball career at both Spaulding and Montpelier Joe Salerno embarked on a coaching journey that has literally taken him around the world. From leading the Solons to jumping in with the Frost Heaves, moving to Canada and winning an NBL Championship and a journey to Syria to lead their national team. This is a story of drive a perseverance to make coaching a full time job on this episode of No Fouls!

The name Rockwood has burst onto the Vermont basketball scene in recent years emanating from Windsor High School... Kabray Rockwood has won back to back state championships with the Yellow Jackets girls basketball team. We deep dive into the AAU world and the pros and cons, coaching his daughters, learning from Harry Ladue, his first impressions of the Barre Auditorium and the impact Wayne Lafley and Eric Ward had on the basketball community. All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

Layne Higgs had a standout basketball career at Spaulding before going on to star at the University of Vermont, eventually settling in for a more than three decade run at the helm of the St. Johnsbury Academy Boy's Basketball team. Coaching some of the biggest names in Vermont basketball history like Tony Orciari, Taylor Coppenrath, Henry ‘Bruce’ Dalrymple and Rory Grimes, we learn how he managed personalities, how high school basketball has evolved, some of the best players he coached against and how he knew it was time to walk away... All that and more this week on No Fouls!

Ben Crenca spent 4 years as a member of the University of Vermont Men’s Basketball team, hear his journey from prep school, why he landed on Vermont, balancing schoolwork we being a D1 athlete and what goes into the NCAA tournament. Big Trouble Ben Bishop is the earth quakin’, pillar shakin’, 6’12, 15% of a metric ton professional wrestler who just so happens to be the same person… hear how Ben made the transition into wrestling and how he views his career and expectations, all that and more this week on No Fouls!

Coach Osborne is currently sitting at the top of the mountain as the CVU Redhawks claimed their first boys D1 championship this year. Learn about his early years at Williamstown before playing for the Spaulding Crimson Tide, playing and coaching at Johnson State and what lead him to CVU. From dealing with basketball heartbreak to finally conquering Rice, all that and more this week on No Fouls!

Jade Huntington was one of the best players to lace up a pair of sneakers in the state of Vermont and she came by it honestly with a father that scored more than 1900 points for Bradford Academy. Learn how she carved out her own path at Oxbow under coach Mona Garone, deep runs into the NCAA Tournament at Vanderbilt, her tough transition into coaching, working with Eric Ward at Thetford Academy and her current run with St.Johnsbury Academy, plus who won those epic one on one games with her sister Jazz... All that and more this week on No Fouls!

Tom welcomes the long time Williamstown girls coach Sid Sweet to talk about his journey from JV benchwarmer to Varsity starter, starting his coaching career with the freshman team, learning from Mike Maxwell and taking over the girls program. They touch on big games, big disappointment and the importance of his team being a part of the community and why they've inspired him to do more... Plus Tom finishes off the podcast touching on the division 3 boys championship and the importance of leadership and sportsmanship in our game, all that and more on No Fouls!

As tournament time at the Barre Auditorium is here, we talk with Director of the Barre Tournament Committee Jeff Blanchard about what goes into getting ready for the two biggest weeks in Vermont basketball, keeping the tradition of the Aud intact while also trying to to make modern improvements, how great volunteers make everything work and how the feeling that comes with reffing on Vermonts biggest stage... All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!  

Over 25 years in coaching Billy Waller has done a lot of things including coaching soccer at Hazen Union while leading basketball at Cabot and coaching both varsity boys and girls teams simultaneously. Hear about bouncing back from losing in the championship by 1 point in an undefeated season and how important it was to bring a title to Cabot. He’s now building a girls program at Vergennes and explains how he stays motivated through the lean seasons… All that and more right here on No Fouls!

Dave McGinn is the only Vermont coach to win championships at three different schools, having reached the top of the mountain at  Oxbow, Thetford Academy and St. Johnsbury Academy. Learn how his community and coach helped him through a hard time in his life as a kid at Brattleboro High School, the importance of integrity and accountability, Mona Garone, Eric Ward and transitioning to building programs as an athletic director... All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

George Commo and Dave Moody have spent decades as the definitive voices of Vermont sports. George Commo's recent announcement that the 2023 season will be his last with Norwich University Hockey marks the end of a 25-year era, and so we got together with he and Dave Moody to recall their origins in broadcasting, their on-air partnership across multiple sports, calling national championship games, long road trips, and a lifetime of memories and gratitude. Don't miss this special edition of No Fouls!

After a 40 year run coaching high school basketball in Vermont, nobody has won more games than Dan Gandin. From his early beginnings at Chelsea and Williamstown to his nearly four decade run at the helm of the U-32 Raiders we learn about his first championship team with U-32 in 1992, their rivalry with Montpelier, what changed in coaching high school basketball over 40 years and why he walked away... All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

When you think Vermont basketball one of the first names that comes to mind is coach Tom Brennan. Most know him as the nearly two decade leader of the University of Vermont mens basketball team, buckle up as we hear about losing his high school scoring record to his sister, why dressing in suits was a huge factor in going into coaching, why he DIDN'T want to take the Vermont job, recruiting multiple members of the Cieplicki family, the success of Corm and the Coach, walking up and down Church Street when they finally made it to the NCAA Tournament, that magic team that beat Syracuse and enjoying his post coaching career... All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

With parents that each coached championship teams it was no surprise that the Danville product followed in their footsteps. Patrick talks about how he ended up spending a season under Steve Clifford with the Charlotte Hornets, what mistakes he made his first year with Lyndon Institute and why he couldn’t pass on the opportunity to take the helm of St. Johnsbury Academy… all that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

From scoring more then 2,000 points in high school at St. Albans, playing 4 years at UVM and leading the Burlington boys program to multiple championships, Matt Johnson earned his induction into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame… Add a year playing professionally in Ireland where he drank with Don King and had Christmas with a political leader of the IRA you know you’re in for some great stories… From men’s league battles with some of the top coaches in the state to what it takes to coach against them, all that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

After winning a championship at Williamstown as a player, Jack Carrier returned to bring Blue Devil basketball back to prominence with a more than decade run at the top of division 3 and 4… From his unrelenting zone defenses to his decision to walk away, all that and more on this episode on No Fouls!

Nick Foster never played varsity basketball but his grandparents took him to every tournament game at the Auditorium and his passion for the game never waned. Here what went in to going from 0-20 to braking a 16 year drought and becoming champions. From learning with the Frost Heaves to working with his coaches to building a program from the bottom… All that and more on this weeks No Fouls!

From player of the year in Indiana, 4 Ivy League Championships at Dartmouth and 5 straight titles leading CVU, coach Ute Otley has had an unbelievable basketball journey. From overcoming injuries, coaching her daughter, the pressure on players that comes with playing for the Red Hawks and constantly adapting and learning as a coach... All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

Jeff Davis joins the podcast to chat about leading Craftsbury Academy to four straight state finals appearances, what led him to Norwich for his college career, his first year coaching JV Girls at Mount Mansfield, learning from Bill Callahan and creating his own legacy over 20 years at the helm of the MMU Varsity Boys... from what he looks for in a good official to his dad duties leading him to step away from coaching at MMU, all that and more on this episode of No Fouls! 

In the debut episode Tom is joined by Hazen Union coach Aaron Hill on the verge of his 24th season leading the Wildcats. He talks about the pressure of taking over a team with championship expectations, the rivalry with Williamstown, why their summer league program is different than most, what it's like coaching his kids and creating a program that's more like a family... All that and more on this episode of No Fouls!

The newest podcast from Uncommon Media has Tom Corbett getting to know some of the greatest coaches past and present who have contributed to sports in Vermont. they're going to talk shop, x’s and o’s, who their mentors were, their favorite games, worse losses, biggest rivals, who they love coaching against, what it is about the sport that gave them the passion to coach and why they continue to do it and their overall feeling on where the game is. All that and more on No Fouls!