Burlington Free Press: Hoops with Troops
University of Vermont men’s basketball head coach Mike Lonergan will join a group of NCAA basketball coaches and sports personalities on a tour of Kuwait to take part in Operation Hardwood from May 22-28. ?Operation Hardwood-Hoops With The Troops’ is an initiative launched to boost morale among U.S. military men and women serving in the Middle East, and give thanks to the people of Kuwait for their continued support.
The coaches will spend a great deal of time with military personnel - visiting their barracks, sharing meals and listening to stories about their experiences which will help coaches to understand the full measure of how much military personnel sacrifice in being away from home. During the tour, the participants will coach military basketball teams featuring the best military players who will compete in a championship tournament.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be selected to participate in Operation Hardwood,” said Lonergan. “I have talked with coach Gary Williams and coach Tom Izzo, past participants, and they both told me it was one of the greatest experiences of their lifetime. I feel blessed to be able to spend time in Kuwait with our troops. Through the wonderful game of basketball we are able to show our support of these great men and women of the armed forces.”
Other coaches participating this year are: 1998 America East Coach of the Year Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Ed Conroy (The Citadel), Jim Crews (U.S. Military Academy), Terry Dunn (Dartmouth), Dennis Felton (Georgia), Fran Fraschilla (ESPN personality and former St. John’s head coach), Reggie Minton (NABC and former Air Force head coach), Jimmy Patsos (Loyola) and Skip Prosser (Wake Forest).
For 65 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services.
This past season Lonergan guided Vermont to a mark of 25-8 overall and won the America East Regular Season Championship with a 15-1 league mark. The Catamounts tied the school record for wins in a season and advanced to the postseason National Invitational Tournament for the first time in school history. Vermont also tied for the national lead in road/neutral victories with 16 on the season, which included winning 13 straight at one point.
Lonergan led Vermont to its first victory over a ranked opponent in the regular season as the Catamounts shocked #14 Boston College 77-63 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Nov. 13. Following the season he was named the America East Coach of the Year, the NABC District I Coach of the Year, CollegeInsider.com America East Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year.
With Vermont heading back to the championship game last season for the fifth straight season, Lonergan became the first coach in the America East since Karl Fogel of Northeastern in 1986-87 to take his team to back-to-back title game appearances in his first two years with a school.