WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The University of Hartford and former men's basketball head coach John Gallagher have reached an agreement to settle the remainder of Gallagher's contract, after his resignation prior to the start of the 2022-23 college basketball season.
Gallagher announced his resignation a day before the Hartford Hawks were set to open the season. His decision came in the wake of the university's decision to transition from Division I to Division III athletics, citing financial constraints on the university.
The University of Hartford released a joint statement on behalf of them, and Coach Gallagher, following the legal resolution between both parties.
“The University of Hartford and John Gallagher have reached an agreement that resolves all legal matters. The terms of the resolution are confidential. Coach Gallagher is grateful for the opportunity the University provided, and for what he and the team accomplished with the basketball program under his tenure. The University of Hartford wishes Coach Gallagher well in his future pursuits.”
According to the Hartford Courant, Gallagher wrote in his resignation letter that budget cuts from the school's decision to transition to Division III athletics and safety concerns were the reasons for his decision.
In his letter, Gallagher reportedly wrote that the last straw was the school's decision not to send an athletic training with the team during a closed scrimmage at Dartmouth College last week. He said a player sustained a knee injury and, according to Gallagher, did not receive sufficient care.
Gallagher also wrote that the school allegedly denied a credit card application used by the director of basketball operations to buy meals for the team during road games, the Courant reported.
After the news of his resignation became public, Gallagher spoke with FOX61 News to explain that he had been thinking about resigning for months. He confirmed that the incident at Dartmouth, where a student-athlete was injured, was the last straw.
"I just felt that player safety would be addressed if I left," he said. "If I stayed there, things would have gotten worse."
Gallagher said his 12-year tenure at UHart began to "unravel" piece by piece, and while he could "write a book" about it all, he will look back at the positives.
"The relationships I've built over the last 12 years in this community - the people in this community ... this is home," he said. "Wherever I go next, I will always look at this place as home. I love everyone out there and thank you for the last 13 years. This place means the world to me."
Back in March 2021, the University of Hartford men's basketball program won their first ever America East Conference Championship, earning them their first bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Shortly after the team's appearance in the tournament, the university made its intentions known about transitioning from Division I to Division III athletics.
The university cited budget cuts and financial issues as its reasons for transitioning to Division III and will continue the transition through the 2024-25 academic year.
Gallagher had served as the Hartford Hawks men's basketball coach since 2010, with an overall record of 169-207, making him the winningest coach in Hartford Hawks men's basketball history.
The University of Hartford will join the Commonwealth Coast Conference beginning in the 2023-24 academic year. The university expects to begin active membership in Division III in the fall 2025 semester.
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