CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — After 50 years in college athletics, more than half of which were with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Larry Gallo is retiring at the end of August.
Gallo, 73, came to Chapel Hill in 1997 after two and a half years as the director of athletics at Indiana State. He spent the last 27 years of his career as a senior and executive associate athletic director on the Tar Heels’ administrative team, according to the school.
“Having the privilege to work at Carolina for over half of my career is something I will forever value, respect and cherish,” Gallo said in a statement. “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,” he continued in his statement. “Carolina was so good to me in so many ways, probably more than I deserve, and for that I shall be forever grateful.”
According to the school, Gallo served as senior advisor to athletic directors Dick Baddour and Bubba Cunningham. He was the head sport administrator for several teams, including baseball, men’s basketball, field hockey and women’s soccer. Gallo also served as liaison to campus officials on issues such as grants-in-aid, housing and substance abuse education and testing.
Additionally, Gallo oversaw several support units, such as strength and conditioning and sports medicine, according to the school. He represented UNC on various NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference committees, including the ACC baseball, field hockey and men’s soccer committees.
Tar Heel teams won 35 national championships and 102 ACC titles during Gallo’s tenure. After Gallo joined the administrative team, UNC field hockey won eight NCAA titles, women’s soccer won six NCAA titles and the baseball team played in the College World Series eight times.
According to UNC, Gallo played baseball at the University of Rhode Island, where he began his coaching and administrative career in 1974. He also worked at the University of Notre Dame and Wake Forest University. Gallo was inducted to the University of Rhode Island Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award in 2014 to recognize his service to UNC.
“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,” Gallo said in his statement. “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 its been 50 years,” he said in his statement. “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.”