#1 - Beginnings

The best March Madness story you didn’t know begins with … Alexander Hamilton?

Our opening episode sets the scene with origin stories – the beginnings of the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Academy. We explain how the Coast Guard differs from other military branches. These are the lifesavers and rescuers, often overlooked when put alongside the more prominent Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

We also trace the history of the school’s basketball program and look back at the 1979 NCAA team.

Then we get to the first of our key characters – coaches Pete Barry and Bob Bono and their vastly different paths to Coast Guard – and how the basketball program had to bottom out before it could reach its highest point.

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A Lasting Legacy is a multi-part audio documentary that remembers the amazing and improbable runs of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 Coast Guard Academy men’s basketball team.

It’s based on 40 interviews with former players, coaches, rivals, and others.

The podcast is written, hosted, edited, and produced by Mark Simon.

Please send any thoughts/feedback to Mark at coastguardbears@gmail.com – don’t forget to rate and review the podcast too.

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Music comes via MelodyLoops.com from the following artists:

ABC Studio, AG Music, Alexander Lisenkov, Andy Littlewood, Audiocalm, Azov Music, Colour Tunes, Ebunny, Eitan Epstein, Geoff Harvey, Infraction, Jeremy Kim, Jon Wright, Manuel Ochoa, Media Sushi, Michael Adels, Mike Nowa, Mister Mark, Mr. B Music Studio, Owen Mulcahy, Premium Trax, Raspberry Sounds, Serhii Volunchuk, Strat56, White Cat Music, Yeven Lokhmatov.

Podcast logo by Dave Ryner.