From UNC...
CHAPEL HILL – Larry Gallo, who has spent the last 27 of his 50 years in college athletics as a senior and executive associate athletic director on the Tar Heels’ administrative team, is retiring at the end of August.
Gallo, 73, came to Chapel Hill in 1997 after two and a half years as Director of Athletics at Indiana State.
“Having the privilege to work at Carolina for over half of my career is something I will forever value, respect and cherish,” says Gallo. “I enjoyed witnessing our student-athletes get a great education at a world-class institution while assisting them in some small way to become successful in one of the all-time best athletic programs. The many relationships I’ve made and the memorable events I was fortunate to experience will always be special to me. Carolina was so good to me in so many ways, probably more than I deserve, and for that I shall be forever grateful.”
Gallo has served as senior advisor to athletic directors Dick Baddour and Bubba Cunningham, head sport administrator for numerous teams, including baseball, men’s basketball, field hockey and women’s soccer, liaison to campus officials on issues including grants-in-aid, housing, and substance abuse education and testing. He oversaw several support units such as strength and conditioning and sports medicine and represented UNC on various NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference committees. He was past chair or a member of the ACC baseball, field hockey and men’s soccer committees.
“It is rare today to know someone as universally liked, loved and respected as Larry Gallo,” says Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “Every positive adjective you can think of applies to him. We admire his professionalism, positivity and robust laugh, take to heart his words of wisdom and thank him for being a mentor, a sideline psychologist, a shoulder to cry on, a celebratory hug to share and mostly for being a friend to all.
“It says a lot about a person when faced with difficult, particularly ethical decisions, that many people not just at UNC but across the college landscape ask themselves if Larry would think it is the right thing to do.”
During Gallo’s tenure in Chapel Hill, Tar Heel teams have won 35 national championships and 102 ACC titles. Carolina field hockey has won eight NCAA titles, women’s soccer won six and the baseball team played in the College World Series eight times since Gallo joined Carolina’s administrative team.
“I love so many things about Larry but what I cherish is that he cares about my family and me, the players and my staff,” says women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance. “I trust him absolutely, and he is usually the first person I call for advice about anything because he is non-judgmental, wise, experienced and has extraordinary integrity. My free spirit has never been an easy thing to administrate, and I have always appreciated his gentle manner and guidance.”
“Larry’s dedication to college athletics for 50 years is truly amazing,” says ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Whether as a coach or administrator, his unwavering focus has always been on the student-athletes and how to best support and enhance the lives of others. Larry has positively affected countless individuals through his kindness and mentorship. Personally, I am really going to miss him. He is the consummate gentleman, a friend to all and we wish him, Laura and his entire family all the best as he begins this well-deserved next chapter.”
In recent years, Gallo has prioritized mentoring UNC’s head coaches and assistant coaches.
“Coach Gallo has been one of the most influential people to me during my 23 years with Carolina baseball and especially during my four years as head coach,” says Scott Forbes. “He has always been extremely supportive of our players and our program and has been an immensely impactful part of our success. It’s no coincidence since he arrived at UNC in 1997, Carolina has set the standard, nationally, in college baseball.
“Coach Gallo has been a leader, administrator, coach, mentor, and most importantly a friend and I will miss him being around Boshamer Stadium every day.”
“I met Coach Gallo on my interview and from that day on he has been my mentor, my ‘go to’, my boss but most importantly my friend,” says former UNC baseball coach Mike Fox. “I was fortunate to have Coach Gallo there as he helped me in so many ways. I was able to go to Larry with anything at any time. He also always had my back no matter what and that was so important to me and much appreciated. Larry’s background in baseball initially forged our relationship but I soon found out this man was very special.
“His best traits were listening, the ability to offer a different perspective, a calming presence, humor and simply just caring,” Fox says. “Coach really, really cared. I don’t believe you will find a person in Carolina Athletics more respected, more revered, more loved than Larry Gallo. Carolina was fortunate to have this treasure of a man whose commitment and service to our student-athletes and coaches are unmatched.”
“The positive impact Mr. Gallo has had on countless student-athletes is immeasurable,” says Erin Matson, who led the field hockey team to four national titles as a player and one last fall in her first season as head coach with Gallo serving as the sport’s primary administrator. “I am fortunate enough to have seen his undying passion for college athletics and the student-athlete experience first-hand for years, and it has been nothing short of a gift. He will undoubtedly continue to support our priceless Carolina, and I know he will forever be proud to call himself a Tar Heel.”
In 2014, Gallo received the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his longtime service, contributions and dedication to the University.
“People ask me all the time what my favorite memory is, and they assume I will say a particular game or a championship, but there’s no question what I cherish the most are the people,” says Gallo. “It’s the student-athletes you get to see do remarkable things, the coaches who care about their young men and women and all the staff and others who work so hard to help the players and coaches do what they do.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. It’s time for me to spend more time with my family and let others share in the memories I’ve been fortunate to experience for more than 25 years at Carolina and for nearly 25 years before that at four other great schools.”
The Smithfield, R.I., native played baseball at the University of Rhode Island. He began his five-decade run in college coaching and administration as an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1974. He became the head baseball coach at Notre Dame in 1980 and moved on to Wake Forest in 1987, where he remained for eight seasons. He was the Demon Deacons’ pitching coach for three seasons while managing a $7.5 million facilities renovation and later led the department’s internal affairs and operations for five years.
At Notre Dame, Gallo served under the leadership of Director of Athletics Gene Corrigan, who became ACC commissioner the same year Gallo moved to Winston-Salem. Gallo credits Corrigan’s mentoring as a key factor in his own development in athletics administration.
“Larry Gallo is not only a beloved figure in college athletics, but also in the Corrigan family,” says NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan. “My father, Gene, considered Larry to be a prime example of what all athletic administrators should aspire to be, and I know he represents all that is right in our profession. Congratulations to him on his retirement and the legacy he leaves behind for all of us.”
While coaching at Notre Dame he was also the assistant manager of the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League, where he developed several future Major Leaguers, including Joe Girardi, Will Clark and Terry Steinbach.
In 1999, he was inducted in the University of Rhode Island Hall of Fame.
CHAPEL HILL – Larry Gallo, who has spent the last 27 of his 50 years in college athletics as a senior and executive associate athletic director on the Tar Heels’ administrative team, is retiring at the end of August.
Gallo, 73, came to Chapel Hill in 1997 after two and a half years as Director of Athletics at Indiana State.
“Having the privilege to work at Carolina for over half of my career is something I will forever value, respect and cherish,” says Gallo. “I enjoyed witnessing our student-athletes get a great education at a world-class institution while assisting them in some small way to become successful in one of the all-time best athletic programs. The many relationships I’ve made and the memorable events I was fortunate to experience will always be special to me. Carolina was so good to me in so many ways, probably more than I deserve, and for that I shall be forever grateful.”
Gallo has served as senior advisor to athletic directors Dick Baddour and Bubba Cunningham, head sport administrator for numerous teams, including baseball, men’s basketball, field hockey and women’s soccer, liaison to campus officials on issues including grants-in-aid, housing, and substance abuse education and testing. He oversaw several support units such as strength and conditioning and sports medicine and represented UNC on various NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference committees. He was past chair or a member of the ACC baseball, field hockey and men’s soccer committees.
“It is rare today to know someone as universally liked, loved and respected as Larry Gallo,” says Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “Every positive adjective you can think of applies to him. We admire his professionalism, positivity and robust laugh, take to heart his words of wisdom and thank him for being a mentor, a sideline psychologist, a shoulder to cry on, a celebratory hug to share and mostly for being a friend to all.
“It says a lot about a person when faced with difficult, particularly ethical decisions, that many people not just at UNC but across the college landscape ask themselves if Larry would think it is the right thing to do.”
During Gallo’s tenure in Chapel Hill, Tar Heel teams have won 35 national championships and 102 ACC titles. Carolina field hockey has won eight NCAA titles, women’s soccer won six and the baseball team played in the College World Series eight times since Gallo joined Carolina’s administrative team.
“I love so many things about Larry but what I cherish is that he cares about my family and me, the players and my staff,” says women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance. “I trust him absolutely, and he is usually the first person I call for advice about anything because he is non-judgmental, wise, experienced and has extraordinary integrity. My free spirit has never been an easy thing to administrate, and I have always appreciated his gentle manner and guidance.”
“Larry’s dedication to college athletics for 50 years is truly amazing,” says ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Whether as a coach or administrator, his unwavering focus has always been on the student-athletes and how to best support and enhance the lives of others. Larry has positively affected countless individuals through his kindness and mentorship. Personally, I am really going to miss him. He is the consummate gentleman, a friend to all and we wish him, Laura and his entire family all the best as he begins this well-deserved next chapter.”
In recent years, Gallo has prioritized mentoring UNC’s head coaches and assistant coaches.
“Coach Gallo has been one of the most influential people to me during my 23 years with Carolina baseball and especially during my four years as head coach,” says Scott Forbes. “He has always been extremely supportive of our players and our program and has been an immensely impactful part of our success. It’s no coincidence since he arrived at UNC in 1997, Carolina has set the standard, nationally, in college baseball.
“Coach Gallo has been a leader, administrator, coach, mentor, and most importantly a friend and I will miss him being around Boshamer Stadium every day.”
“I met Coach Gallo on my interview and from that day on he has been my mentor, my ‘go to’, my boss but most importantly my friend,” says former UNC baseball coach Mike Fox. “I was fortunate to have Coach Gallo there as he helped me in so many ways. I was able to go to Larry with anything at any time. He also always had my back no matter what and that was so important to me and much appreciated. Larry’s background in baseball initially forged our relationship but I soon found out this man was very special.
“His best traits were listening, the ability to offer a different perspective, a calming presence, humor and simply just caring,” Fox says. “Coach really, really cared. I don’t believe you will find a person in Carolina Athletics more respected, more revered, more loved than Larry Gallo. Carolina was fortunate to have this treasure of a man whose commitment and service to our student-athletes and coaches are unmatched.”
“The positive impact Mr. Gallo has had on countless student-athletes is immeasurable,” says Erin Matson, who led the field hockey team to four national titles as a player and one last fall in her first season as head coach with Gallo serving as the sport’s primary administrator. “I am fortunate enough to have seen his undying passion for college athletics and the student-athlete experience first-hand for years, and it has been nothing short of a gift. He will undoubtedly continue to support our priceless Carolina, and I know he will forever be proud to call himself a Tar Heel.”
In 2014, Gallo received the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his longtime service, contributions and dedication to the University.
“People ask me all the time what my favorite memory is, and they assume I will say a particular game or a championship, but there’s no question what I cherish the most are the people,” says Gallo. “It’s the student-athletes you get to see do remarkable things, the coaches who care about their young men and women and all the staff and others who work so hard to help the players and coaches do what they do.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. It’s time for me to spend more time with my family and let others share in the memories I’ve been fortunate to experience for more than 25 years at Carolina and for nearly 25 years before that at four other great schools.”
The Smithfield, R.I., native played baseball at the University of Rhode Island. He began his five-decade run in college coaching and administration as an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1974. He became the head baseball coach at Notre Dame in 1980 and moved on to Wake Forest in 1987, where he remained for eight seasons. He was the Demon Deacons’ pitching coach for three seasons while managing a $7.5 million facilities renovation and later led the department’s internal affairs and operations for five years.
At Notre Dame, Gallo served under the leadership of Director of Athletics Gene Corrigan, who became ACC commissioner the same year Gallo moved to Winston-Salem. Gallo credits Corrigan’s mentoring as a key factor in his own development in athletics administration.
“Larry Gallo is not only a beloved figure in college athletics, but also in the Corrigan family,” says NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan. “My father, Gene, considered Larry to be a prime example of what all athletic administrators should aspire to be, and I know he represents all that is right in our profession. Congratulations to him on his retirement and the legacy he leaves behind for all of us.”
While coaching at Notre Dame he was also the assistant manager of the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League, where he developed several future Major Leaguers, including Joe Girardi, Will Clark and Terry Steinbach.
In 1999, he was inducted in the University of Rhode Island Hall of Fame.
