Reds Name Salerno As Head Coach

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS are pleased to name Joe Salerno as the new head coach of their men’s basketball team.

Salerno, a former three-time National Basketball League of Canada Coach of the Year, succeeds Brent Baker, who stepped down in March due to on-going health concerns.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining the UNB family,” said Salerno. “To become part of the team at such a prestigious university and have the opportunity to continue to coach basketball at a high level is an incredible feeling.”

A native of Barre, Vermont, Salerno is more than familiar with New Brunswick and the Maritimes.

He served as head coach and general manager of the NBL’s Moncton Magic from 2017 until 2020, leading the franchise to the 2019 NBL championship.

As head coach of the Magic, Salerno was twice named NBL Coach of the Year, in 2019 and 2020.

The NBL’s all-time winningest coach, with 208 victories, Salerno also served as head coach and vice president of player personnel of the Island Storm for six seasons.

He led the Storm to a pair of NBL Atlantic Division titles, and was named the league’s Coach of the Year in 2013.

Most recently, Salerno has served as the head coach of Syria’s national men’s team.

Last November, at the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier, Salerno led the 96^th ranked Syrians to an upset of 22^nd ranked Iran.

“I’ve always been interested in coaching at the university level,” said Salerno. “Having the opportunity to work with players for four or five years, establishing strong relationships with them, and being able to watch their development on and off the court is something that’s always appealed to me.”

Salerno believe his range of coaching experiences, including work with pro teams and on the international scene, will serve the REDS well.

“I can adapt to different environments,” he said. “I’ve learned how to communicate with people and establish relationships with them. I’ve already had opportunities to coach some of Canada’s best U SPORTS players at the pro level, and players from major conferences in the NCAA. When you combine that with my recent experience with the Syrian team, I have a well-rounded history of working with players from different levels and walks of life.”

“We’re really happy to be able hire Coach Salerno,” said John Richard, UNB’s Director of Athletics. “We had a deep pool of applicants, which challenged our hiring committee, however Joe’s experience stood out from the beginning. He was very impressive and engaging throughout the process.”

“He’s a proven winner, and we’re confident he can help lead our student-athletes to success on the court and off.”

Before moving to the NBL, Salerno spent two seasons with the Vermont Frost Heaves, of the Premier Basketball League.

After serving as the Frost Heaves’ assistant coach in 2009-2010, Salerno was promoted during the 2010-2011 season when the team started with an 0-6 record. With Salerno as the team’s head coach, Vermont won 12 of their next 17 games.

While he counts Moncton’s NBL championship among his career highlights to date, Salerno is equally proud of Syria’s win over Iran, last fall.

“Obviously, the country and the people of Syria have had a difficult time over the last decade, so to know I played a role in helping people there smile, and be proud to be from Syria, was an incredible feeling and one I’ll never forget,” he said. 

“Over more than a decade, Coach Baker built a winning culture here at UNB and we believe Coach Salerno can add to that,” said Richard. “We’re eager to see him put his stamp on our men’s program.”

Salerno says his first priority will be to establish a team identity and add to the winning culture that already exists.

“We have many of the right pieces in place, so adding a few more and competing for an Atlantic University Sport championship right away is certainly among my expectations,” he said. “I feel so privileged to be put in a position to be a positive impact on our student-athletes during such a transitional stage in their lives. I want to establish UNB as a premier destination for the country’s most promising student-athletes. I want to compete, year in and year out, for the AUS title, and establish our presence on the national stage.”

Salerno is married. He and his wife, Darci, have two children. Their son, Camden, is 11, and their daughter, Alexandra, is 8.

“The Maritimes are really the only home my children have had,” said Salerno. “We moved to Prince Edward Island when my son was just 17 months old, and we’ve been here ever since. We’ve enjoyed living in Charlottetown and Moncton, and are very much looking forward to our move to Fredericton.”

As Coach Salerno transitions from his role with the Syrian team, an exact start date is still being worked out. He’s expected to officially begin his work with the REDS sometime in June.

STORY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS: Left – FIBA  Right – Mathieu Chaisson