Former Stroudsburg coach Gallagher takes over at Notre DameEast Stroudsburg
After he lost his job as the Stroudsburg High boys basketball coach a few months ago, Matt Gallagher suggested he would be back in coaching sometime soon.
Sooner rather than later, Gallagher has a new gig.
He’s the new head coach at his alma mater, Notre DameEast Stroudsburg, where he is succeeding his mentor and coaching legend Bob Mullen, who is retiring after multiple stints connected him to Spartans basketball for 38 years.
“Coach Mullen is a legend for sure and it was an honor for me to play for him on two District 11 championship teams and coach with him for two years,” Gallagher said. “I learned a lot from him. I wouldn’t be the coach or the man I am today without Coach Mullen. He has done a lot for me throughout my coaching career. He has always been there for me. He’s just a tremendous man.”
Gallagher was disappointed to lose his job at Stroudsburg where he felt he had turned the program around and said his record of 28-48 in four seasons, including an 8-14 overall mark and 5-11 record in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference in the 2021-22 season, didn’t take into account all of the positive things he had done with the Mounties.
But he’s happy to be back home again at Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg where he was a member of district title teams in 2005 and 2006.
“The standard that Coach Mullen set at that school is amazing,” Gallagher said. “It’s a standard of winning games and winning championships, but also developing young men. I asked him a week or so ago how many wins he had and he doesn’t even know because that’s not the most important thing to him. It’s probably around 500. I mean his legacy is tremendous and I’m just fortunate to be able to take over and have this great opportunity.”
The 67-year-old Mullen led the Spartans to six district titles, three each in separate stints. The first three came in a row from 2005-07 and the other three came in between 2015 and 2019.
His team reached the Class A district finals each of the past two seasons, losing to Pottsville Nativity both times.
“It has been a great run for me,” Mullen said. “I have been very fortunate to have great kids over the years and I’ve also been fortunate to have great people to work with like the late John Gormley [vice principal and dean of students] and Jeff Lyons
[current principal] Mark Allison [current dean of students] and Roger Barren {athletic director]. Mark was my co-head coach and we did everything together in the last six or seven years.”
Mullen is a graduate of Bishop Kenrick in suburban Philadelphia where he played for Buddy Gardler, who played for longtime college and NBA coach and analyst Jack Ramsay at Saint Joseph’s. Gardler was succeeded by longtime Saint Joe’s coach and current Michigan assistant Phil Martelli and Mullen coached with Martelli.
“And then I was replaced by [legendary UConn women’s coach] Geno Auriemma,” Mullen said. “Both Phil and Geno are great guys. You can learn from everybody. We were always very good defensively. What we always preached was working hard. You can never work hard enough. You can always get better.”
Mullen said he always told his players that they were representing their school, their team, their family and themselves.
“It was important that they acted like young men at all times,” he said. “I wanted them to work just as hard in the classroom as they did on the court. I said if you do all of the little things right, it will lead to some great things.”
As for Gallagher, Mullen said he’s the right guy to take over the program.
“The first time I ever saw Matt play, he was on a playground and playing with a cast on his foot,” Mullen said. “And I thought right away that he had a lot of heart and that’s what he will bring to the job, a tremendous heart. Plus, he’s very knowledgeable and a good guy. I think he’s going to be very successful and I will be around if he needs anything.”
Mullen left Gallagher several key players from a team that went 17-8 last year and reached the second round of the PIAA tournament.
Xavier Spears, who was an all-state selection in Class A as a sophomore, is one of the returnees.
Gallagher said he was excited to meet the team and put together the program’s summer schedule.
“I’m coming home and I’m excited,” he said. “I played there and I know what the school is about. There are players that have come through that program that created something special with Coach Mullen. Now it’s a matter of maintaining the expectations and continuing to work with kids who want to get to the best version of themselves. And if we can put up some banners along with that process, it’ll be icing on the cake.”