Marty Maher is in his sixth year as the head coach of Castleton men's and women's Nordic skiing in 2021.
Through his first five seasons, Maher has guided Castleton to a total of three overall USCSA National Championships between his men's and women's programs, and has coached three individuals to USCSA National Championships: John Henry Paluszek, Andrew Doherty and Megan Greene. In total, Maher's skiers have earned 35 All-America accolades, comprised of 18 from the women's side and 17 from the men's side.
The 2019-20 season was a culmination of the Spartans' continual growth as a program, and finished with the men's and women's programs both sitting atop the podium at the end of National Championship week at Lake Placid. The men's program repeated as overall National Champions, defending their title with a first-place finish in the classic sprint, a second-place finish in the 7.5k freestyle and a third-place finish in the 15k freestyle. The women found their way atop the podium for the first time in program history, claiming the overall crown as well as the National Championship in the 7.5k freestyle and 15k freestyle. The women also finished second in the classic sprint.
In 2018-19, both programs took a large step forward, asserting themselves as a force to be reckoned with at the national level. The men posted an undefeated regular season and swept the top spot on the podium at the ESCS Eastern Regional Championships before notching four total titles at the USCSA National Championships: the overall crown, 7.5k freestyle, freestyle sprint and 15k freestyle. The women, likewise, bumped their performance to finish just off the podium at the 2018-19 National Championships. The group finished fourth overall during the week-long Championships, comprised of fourth-place finishes in the 7.5k classic, freestyle sprint and team sprint. The women also finished fifth in the 15k classic.
The 2017-18 season set the stage for Castleton's eventual success across the board, as both the men and women finished squarely inside the top-10 in the nation at the USCSA National Championships. In 2016-17, the men's Nordic ski team once again qualified for the USCSA National Championships. In addition, Maher hosted the Castleton Invitational at Mountain Top to begin the competitive season.
The Spartans made their program debut and had good success during the 2015-16 campaign, despite the mild winter. Three different Spartans reached the USCSA National Championships, competing in all three national championship events.
Maher came to Castleton after 20 years as a high school coach in the region. From 2012 to 2015, he served as the head Nordic coach at Rutland High School, working with both the boys and girls programs. Prior to Rutland, Maher served as a physical education teacher and coach at Burr & Burton. With the Bulldogs he took over a nearly dormant program and just six years later his girls team won their first state championship. By the time he retired in 2012 he had over 20 Nordic skiers on his team and in 2014 he was inducted to the Burr & Burton Athletic Hall of Fame for his work as a coach.
In conjunction with his coaching duties, Maher has been the representative of Vermont high school Nordic ski coaches on the Vermont Principal Association (VPA) Ski Committee since 1997. Additionally, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the New England Nordic Ski Association and served as a member of the Junior Olympic Committee. Maher has helped host the Vermont High School Nordic State Championships four times, the UVM Winter Carnival and the Eastern High School State Championships in recent years. Last year he served as the starter for the UVM Winter Carnival and the Junior Nationals.
