WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The University of Hartford men's basketball program has named its new head coach, as the team prepares for its first full season in NCAA Division III athletics.
The university announced Friday it has hired Aaron Toomey as the new men's basketball coach, succeeding former head coach John Gallagher, who departed the university amid the school's tumultuous transition to Division III.
Toomey, a former men's basketball student-athlete at Amherst College, has spent his coaching career at several Division III institutions, including Amherst College, Vassar College, and the University of Rochester.
Toomey was an assistant coach at Amherst College from 2015-2019, before moving into the interim head coach role for the 2019-2020 season. He then served as an assistant coach at Vassar College for a year before moving to an assistant coach role at the University of Rochester for the past two seasons.
"I have had amazing experiences in Division III as a student-athlete and as a coach, and look forward to providing a similar experience for our players here at Hartford," Toomey said in a statement. "I can't wait to get to work and look forward to seeing the University of Hartford compete for many championships in the years to come."
The University of Hartford is nearing the completion of its transition from Division I to Division III athletics, which began in the spring of 2021. The announcement was made after the Hawks' first-ever NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament appearance.
Hartford student-athletes led numerous protests against the transition, which consisted of on-campus and off-campus rallies, and even a legal filing to stop the transition. Ultimately, the lawsuit was dismissed.
The university president, Gregory Woodward, cited budgetary reasons for the transition, claiming the private university could not feasibly make enough money, maintaining Division I status.
The University of Hartford will begin competition in the upcoming 2023-24 academic year as a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference, comprising of 10 collegiate institutions throughout New England.
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