Joe Gallo (basketball)

Last updated

Joe Gallo
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Merrimack
Conference MAAC
Record161–113 (.588)
Biographical details
Born (1980-02-08) February 8, 1980 (age 45)
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
Playing career
2000–2004 Merrimack
Position(s) Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2005–2009 Merrimack (assistant)
2010–2012 Dartmouth (assistant)
2012–2016 Robert Morris (assistant)
2016–presentMerrimack
Head coaching record
Overall161–113 (.588)
Tournaments2–3 (NCAA Division II)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Northeast-10 tournament (2019)
NEC regular season (2020, 2023, 2024)
NEC tournament (2023)
Awards
  • NEC Coach of the Year (2020)
  • HoopDirt.com NCAA Div. 1 Coach of the Year (2020)
  • John McLendon Award (2020)
  • ECAC Coach of the Year (2020)
  • x2 NABC District Coach of the Year (2020, 2023)
  • USBWA Coach of the Year (2020)

Joe Gallo (born February 8, 1980) is an American college basketball head coach and former player for the Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team. He was previously an assistant coach for Dartmouth and Robert Morris before he was hired as head coach at Merrimack in 2016. [1]

Contents

Playing career and education

Gallo, a native of Milltown, New Jersey, played high school basketball at Princeton Day School before playing college basketball at Merrimack College. [2] While attending Merrimack Gallo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in management. [3]

Coaching career

Gallo began his coaching career in 2005 as an assistant at Merrimack, one year after he finished playing for the Warriors. In 2010, Gallo was hired as an assistant under head coach Paul Cormier at Dartmouth before joining Andy Toole at Robert Morris 2012. In 2015, Gallo was a key component in helping the Colonials win the Northeast Conference tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament, where Robert Morris lost to eventual national champion Duke. [4]

The following year, Gallo was hired as head coach at his alma mater, Merrimack, replacing Bert Hammel. [5] He led the Warriors to the NCAA Division II tournament in each of his first three years at the helm, and would also lead the program to its first Northeast-10 championship in 19 years during the 2018-19 season. He finished his time coaching at the Division II level with an overall record of 61-34 and a conference record of 40-23.

The Warriors transitioned to Division I in 2019, joining the Northeast Conference. In the program’s first Division I season Gallo led Merrimack to a Northeast Conference regular season championship in 2020, receiving a plethora of coaching awards at the end of the season, including NEC Coach of the Year, HoopDirt.com NCAA Division I Coach of the Year, the John McLendon Award, ECAC Coach of the Year, NABC District Coach of the Year, and USBWA Coach of the Year. [6]

During the 2021-22 season, Gallo earned his 100th career victory with a win over Wagner on February 12. Gallo would go on to lead the Warriors to back-to-back NEC regular season championships in 2023 and 2024, and would even win the NEC tournament in 2023. However, Merrimack was ineligible to participate in the NCAA Tournament due to the five-year transition period having not completed (during the 2023 season Merrimack ended the season with the longest winning streak in the nation with 11 games). [7] Gallo would lead Merrimack back to the NEC championship game in 2024, but Merrimack fell to Wagner, 54-47. This would be his last season coaching in the NEC, finishing with an overall record of 82-64 and a conference record 58-28.

In 2024, Merrimack moved to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. [8] Gallo led the Warriors to a second-place finish in their first year in the MAAC.

Personal life

Gallo married his wife, Megan, in 2015. [4] The couple has two sons, Joey and Trey. [9] [10]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Merrimack Warriors (Northeast-10 Conference)(2016–2019)
2016–17Merrimack 19–1212–9T–3rd (Northeast) NCAA Division II Regional Semifinals
2017–18Merrimack 20–1214–72nd (Northeast) NCAA Division II Regional Semifinals
2018–19Merrimack 22–1014–72nd (Northeast) NCAA Division II First Round
Merrimack Warriors (Northeast Conference)(2019–2024)
2019–20 Merrimack 20–1114–41st
2020–21 Merrimack 9–99–9T–5th
2021–22 Merrimack 14–1610–84th
2022–23 Merrimack 18–1612–41st
2023–24 Merrimack 21–1213–3T–1st
Merrimack Warriors (MAAC)(2024–present)
2024–25 Merrimack 18–1514–62nd
Merrimack:161–113 (.588)112–57 (.663)
Total:161–113 (.588)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. "Merrimack College introduces new Men's Basketball head coach Joe Gallo". Merrimack.edu. May 11, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  2. Joe Gallo. RMUColonials.com. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  3. "Joe Gallo - Head Men's Basketball Coach - Staff Directory". Merrimack College Athletics. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  4. 1 2 https://rmucolonials.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/joe-gallo/706
  5. Burt, Bill (May 9, 2016). "Gallo will replace Hammel as new men's basketball coach at Merrimack". The Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  6. "Saint Francis U's Isaiah Blackmon Tabbed NEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year" (Press release). Northeast Conference. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  7. "2022-23 Men's Basketball Schedule". Merrimack College Athletics. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  8. Merrimack joins the MAAC https://www.merrimack.edu/news/merrimack-college-accepts-invitation-to-join-metro-atlantic-athletic-conference/
  9. https://merrimackathletics.com/news/2025/3/27/mens-basketball-joe-gallo-agree-to-new-10-year-contract.aspx
  10. "Joe Gallo - Head Men's Basketball Coach - Staff Directory". Merrimack College Athletics. Retrieved August 6, 2025.