NBLC Alumni: Joe Salerno
Head Coach
From Plattsburgh, New York
Tenure: 2011-2020
3xCoach of the Year
2019 NBLC Champion
Having been a part of the NBL Canada from the start, Joe Salerno's accomplishments across nine years in Canada have made him one of the most legendary coaches in the country's basketball scene.
His coaching career began in 2008, when he took the helm of the varsity team of his old high school, Montpelier High in Vermont. He led them to the final four of their divisional tournament that year.
Following this, he became the assistant coach of the Premier Basketball League's Vermont Frost Heaves, the only professional team to play in Vermont. In January 2010 he was promoted to head coach and went on to win the coach of the month award in March and lead the team to a 14-8 record on the season.
For the inaugural NBL Canada season, Salerno served as the first head coach for the Summerside Storm, a position he held for six years. In the 2012-13 season he shared coach of the year honours with Michael Ray Richardson and helped the Storm reach their first NBLC finals, a finish he and the team repeated in 2014. He coached the Storm for three more seasons, making the playoffs each time. In 2017, he left the team and took the head coaching job at the Moncton Magic.
After an unassuming first season of his Magic tenure - finishing second in the Atlantic Division and reaching the division finals - in 2018-19 he led the team to the best record in the league and their history, as well as capturing the most home wins, en route to winning his second coach of the year award.
Having written himself into the history books of Moncton basketball, Salerno set his sights on leading the team to the ultimate prize - the NBL Canada championship. Under his guidance, the team reached the 2019 Finals and became the first undefeated league champions, sweeping the St. John's Edge 4-0 to bring home their first NBLC title.
Salerno served as Magic coach the following season, which ended up being cut short, but he once again guided the team to a league-best record, lost just four games out of twenty-three played. Winning his 200th game in the season, he received his second straight and third total NBLC Coach of the Year award.
This would also mark an end to his NBLC tenure. Following the season's conclusion, he accepted the job of head coach of the Syrian national team. Assisted by Sudbury Five coach Logan Stutz he made his debut during qualifying for the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup, where he guided the team to an impressive victory over the titans of Middle-Eastern basketball, Iran.
In May 2021 it was announced that Salerno would be moving back to Canada and coaching in USports for the first time, having been made the head coach of the UNB Reds men's team.
As evidenced by his outstanding NBL Canada record, Joe Salerno has an undeniable gift for inspiring teams under his tutelage to success, a skill that should see results keep falling his way in his foreseeable coaching future.
Updated from the original on May 13th 2021.
Picture Credit: Moncton Magic
