Coach John Gallagher of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut (AP) sat down the team after attending the school’s first NCAA tournament to discuss the decision by the university to downgrade its athletic program from Division I to Division III. ..
According to the school, the change will save about $ 9 million a year, but it won’t happen soon, but the coach told the returning players that he knew whether to transfer. ..
I didn’t do any of them.
“It’s been a success for me this season,” Gallagher said. We preach about the neighborhood. What we preach about 12 years since we built this. We are literally siblings here, so whatever happens, we succeed. “
Hartford, who joined Division I in the mid-1980s, will submit a formal request for reclassification to the NCAA in January. We plan to stop offering sports scholarships by the 2023-24 academic year and hope to complete the transition by September 1, 2025.
Gallagher players say there were several reasons they decided to continue playing at Hartford, including their coach telling them he wouldn’t go anywhere.
They also see the opportunity to enter another successful season, add another Eastern US title, and change their minds about downgrading the program.
“We’re doing it for each other, and we’re definitely doing it for our students, so we can show them that this fight isn’t over yet,” averaged. Austin Williams, a fifth grader with 14.1 points and 6.2, said last season rebounded. “We will continue to push and strive to show the school that athletics is important.”
Senior guard DJ Mitchell, who suffered many injuries last year, admitted that the leadership initially had some mixed feelings about wearing a jersey in a school where the rug was pulled from underneath the athletic club. rice field.
But he said that the larger college community, alumni, fans, and even the athletes who come after him, deserves everything he has to offer in court.
“There are people who have been supporting this school for years and we are doing this for them,” he said. The gal director is talking about the neighborhood. I myself and all the teammates I know will do everything possible to prevent it from happening and things will come back as we think. “
The team finished 15-9 last season, winning the conference tournament and then losing to final national champion Baylor 16 seeds 79-55 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Hawks will raise a conference championship banner at home against Boston University on November 18th.
They were ranked fourth at this season’s conference, but return strong cores not only from last year’s team, but also from several newcomers, including transfer Dejuan Clayton, who scored 1,518 points at Coppin State University.
“Next year, seven people will be hired at the SEC, Big East and Big Ten levels,” Gallagher predicted.
The coach said he was hoping that court challenger pressure from graduates might keep his program in Division I. But he said at least he had no plans to leave school yet.
“We are a long game program,” he said. “If you stay in Division I, the next decade will be historic here. And if we have to pack a bag and move the neighborhood to another place, it’s historic there. Will be. “
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Other Associated Press Basketball: https: //apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25
Hartford player sticking it out during the transition to DIII | WGN Radio 720
Source link Hartford player sticking it out during the transition to DIII | WGN Radio 720
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