It’s never a good sign in college basketball when your head coach steps down the day before your season opener.
That’s what Hartford’s John Gallagher did on Monday, resigning one day before the Hawks open the 2022-23 campaign against Sacred Heart.
Gallagher had been Hartford’s head coach since 2010. He had tried to get the university to reconsider its decision to drop to the Division III level, and reportedly “accused the university of breaching his contract and jeopardizing player safety and well-being” in his resignation letter.
Hartford denied these allegations in their own statement.
Gallagher posted a 169-207 overall record at Hartford. He led the Hawks to a 15-9 season and berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2021.
Gallagher also took the program to the CIT in 2013 and 2018.
This is set to be Hartford’s final season in Division I. It will be a member of Division III’s Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2023-24.