Braves To Honor All-Time Leading Scorer

PEMBROKE – The University of North Carolina at Pembroke athletic department will honor former student-athlete and head coach Joe Gallagher as part of “Joe Gallagher Night” in the English E. Jones Center on February 13. The ceremony honoring the former Brave will take place between games of a 1:30 p.m. basketball doubleheader against North Georgia.

Gallagher boasts more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, including six years (91-69, .569) as a head coach at Methodist College (1973-75), Pembroke State (1975-78) and Belmont Abbey (1991-92). Additionally, Gallagher has served as an assistant coach at Richmond (1979-86 and 1992-96), Boston College (1986-91), UNC Greensboro (1996-99) and Campbell (1999-2002). He has also served a handful of years in the National Basketball Association (NBA), including stints with both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

A 1968 graduate of Pembroke State University, Gallagher was named Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year each of his two seasons at then NAIA-member Methodist and also earned NAIA District Coach of the Year in 1974-75.

As an assistant coach at the Richmond, Gallagher helped guide the Spiders to two NCAA Tournament appearances as well as a pair of NIT berths. The 1986 Richmond squad, under the direction of head coach Dick Tarrant, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and in the process eliminated an Auburn team that included future NBA stars Charles Barkley and Chuck Person.

A Philadelphia native, Gallagher attended Lincoln Preparatory School and was a 1968 graduate of Pembroke State. He posted four-year averages of 20.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, and still stands as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,161 career points. He was twice honored with NAIA all-American laurels and, in 1980, was inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame. His No. 24 jersey was retired in 1970. Following his collegiate playing career, Gallagher was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels (ABA) in 1968.

Gallagher also served four years in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as a corporal in 1964. He and his wife Sharon currently reside in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.