1029 Combined Career Coaching Wins
Congratulations to Minisink Valley head wrestling coach Kevin Gallagher for reaching a coaching milestone last night as he recorded his 500th career win in the Warriors 75-4 victory over Valley Central! Gallagher is now one of only five coaches in NYS history with 500 or more coaching victories. He joins retired Cornwall coach Don Blaine as the only coaches to notch #500 while coaching in Section 9. Blaine, who finished with 529 career victories, was in attendance for Gallagher’s milestone win. Legendary HOF coach Joe Bena began his coaching career at NFA however the vast majority of his 674 wins were at Section 2 programs Niskayuna and Duanesburg. Coach Gallagher reached this historic win only a few weeks after his long time assistant Scott Hendershot picked up career win #400.
Gallagher, a 1977 graduate of Minisink Valley, began his coaching career in Middletown in 1983 where he served as coach for 2 seasons. He left Middletown to coach Division 1 college at his Alma mater Wagner for six seasons where he coached three NCAA qualifiers including his brother Matt who is currently the head football coach at Section 4 power Maine Endwell. One of his other NCAA qualifiers, Joe Burke, went on to become a 3X All-American. Gallagher’s other NCAA qualifier was Rondout Valley graduate Dan Sanchez who was one match away from reaching the podium. Gallagher left Wagner in 1991 to return to teaching physical education and coaching at the prep school level. He took over as head coach at Section 4 Oxford Academy in 1992 and stayed there until taking the head coaching position at Minisink Valley in 2000. Let’s take a look at some of the incredible accomplishments of Coach Gallagher’s career!
- 2018 NYSPHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame
- 2015 NYSPHSAA Coach of the Year
- 2015 NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Champions
- 2018 NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Finalists
- Ranked to 20 in NYS for 17 seasons
- 61 state tournament qualifiers
- 20 state place winners
- 3 state finalists
- 2 state champions (AJ Aeberli, MV & CJ Hansen, Oxford)
- 7 Section 9 Tournament titles
- 4 Section 9 Dual Meet titles
- 500 career wins….and not done yet!!!
Two great assest to the MV coaching staff!! They have done a outstanding job with both the program and the athletes they have coached!
1 state champ, not 2?
AJ Aeberli was state champ under Gallagher. Harrison was coach for Yanis’ state title run.
Didn’t he coach JP O’Connor ?
He had left Oxford Academy by the time JP wrestled varsity…however i think Coach Gallagher was the person that introduced O’Connor to the sport of wrestling. For those he may not know who we are talking about, JP O’Connor went on to be a 4X NY state champ and an NCAA champion for Harvard!
CJ Hansen was a state champ for Oxford.
Harvard’s second NCAA champ ( Jesse Jantzen- NYS first 4x state champ)
Thanks for clearing that up for me Mike. And thanks for letting me talk wrestling. No wrestling here in Mississippi