At one time, the Vermont Frost Heaves, a professional Premier Basketball League team, played to exuberant crowds in the Barre Auditorium until it disbanded in 2011. Now this experience is coming back in the form of the Vermont Coyotes, who will play in the semi-pro American Basketball Association.
The idea of bringing back a semi-professional basketball team to Vermont has been years in the works. Team owner Anthony Marques, along with president of basketball operations Andy Bousono, first discussed the idea in Philadelphia 11 years ago, feeling that the loss of the Frost Heaves “left a hole in central Vermont.”
“All we had was dreams and time,” said Marques, who said that achieving this goal is a full circle moment for him.
As a teen, Marques participated in Frost Heaves practices, where he learned that “basketball was a business” and gave him an understanding of what playing at a high level looked like. It allowed him to “fall in love with the game again.” After practicing with the Frost Heaves, Marques worked as a professional basketball trainer.
Bousono has been involved in Vermont basketball for 11 years as the founder of the Chittenden County-based Revolution Basketball, which brings competitive basketball to Vermont communities.
Bousono expects to face challenges with player commitment when it comes to recruiting because of the time requirements. He hopes the Vermont Coyotes serve as an “outlet to further their career in the basketball world,” a sentiment seconded by Anthony Marques.
Marques said he wants to use the Vermont Coyotes’ profits to set his players up for success. In addition to paying them a salary, the Coyotes will work to help players make connections for the next stage of their professional career, he said.
“We want our athletes gone within like, one or two years, to a place where they’re making really good money to play the game they love,” Marques said.
The Basketball Community in Central Vermont
The Barre Auditorium was built in 1939 and, according to Bousono, it has seen history within its walls. He described an “incredible atmosphere” at “the Aud” related to basketball, including, in recent years, hosting many high school games. One example: The Montpelier Solons boys basketball team have won four straight state championships there in the last four years.
Marques, too, lauds the Aud, calling it the “mecca” of Vermont gyms.
Marques describes the culture of central Vermont basketball as “a whole different ball game when it comes to the feel and the vibe and the expectation of what good basketball is” compared to the rest of Vermont.
The community of basketball in central Vermont is vital to the Vermont Coyotes. In preparation for its first season, the team hosted pickup games for local players, which was then followed by a Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 24. The goal was to share a meal with those who need it, but anyone was welcome to enjoy the food.
The pickup games had another purpose: they allowed the coaching staff to see local talent. Head Coach Jesse Palmer said he saw “three or four players (he) really liked.” Recruiting will take place throughout the next few months.
The Vermont Coyotes staff is primarily looking at in-state players, particularly some finishing out their college season, and members of the Revolution Basketball League. Bousono says the Coyotes will give Vermont players “another avenue and another platform to play in their home state and represent something greater.”
How Do the Vermont Coyotes Plan to Start Their Franchise?
Andy Bousono is not Marques’ only friend associated with the Coyotes. Marques has picked people he trusts for his staff. This decision led to the hiring of Jesse Palmer as head coach.
Palmer is a long time friend of Marques and his former coach. “I wanted a guy that understood the value of building a family, building character, building community,” Marques said, adding that Palmer will be looked to not only for leadership but for guidance.
Trust and community are not the only building blocks being laid for the success of the Vermont Coyotes. Bousono said the Coyotes plan to do almost everything differently than the Frost Heaves, particularly its media presence.
More Media Promotion
Marques is the owner and founder of Invisible Productions, a film company that he plans to use as an outlet for media and promotion.
During the community event on Nov. 24, Marques filmed and photographed the event. He said he plans to produce a documentary about the team. Marques said he believes in the “power of a story” and that he feels that Invisible Productions allows him “to be completely taken out of the frame … (let) the story play out.” The use of Invisible Productions and the Vermont Coyotes combine his two passions, film and basketball, he said.
Marques said he wants to be “a game changer on and off the court,” ensuring that everything that the Coyotes do is for the “right reasons.”
The hope of giving back to the community and restarting a professional team in central Vermont for Marques, as someone who grew up in a tough financial situation, is that kids in difficult situations look at him and “(know) that I was like him or her and I want them to be able to take what they see right now and be able to go out in the world and become better versions of themselves.”
The season for the Vermont Coyotes will start September 2025 according to Bousono, who says the roster and practices will not be finalized until summer 2025.
