Next Generation: It's a Family Affair for Indiana's Trey Galloway

Trey Galloway and his father Mark have already won one state championship as player and coach at Culver Academies, and they'd like another before he heads off to college at Indiana.

CULVER, Ind. — There’s a unique dynamic to being the coach’s kid, especially when you’re the best player on a team that’s good enough to dream of winning another state title.

Trey Galloway knows what that’s like. He plays for his father, Mark, at Culver Academies in northern Indiana. They’ve won a state championship together, and lost one, too. They are both talented at what they do, both are extremely intense, and both go at it hard every day. There are many times where they go after each other hard, too, which isn’t all that uncommon in player/coach scenarios.

For Trey — a 4-star recruit and the No. 3-ranked player in Indiana according to the 247sports rankings — there’s Dad, and there’s Coach, but at least they can leave it at the locker room door.

Or not.

“No, we’re not very good about leaving it in the gym. We should be, but we’re not,’’ said Galloway, a 6-foot-4 guard who was Indiana’s first commit in its three-person (for now) 2020 class. “If I have a bad practice, or things go wrong at practice and he’s mad, it tends to last for a couple of hours a few times, and it can get a little heated.

“It’s good for me that I have a place to escape to.’’

Galloway has an uncommon advantage as a high school student. Because Culver is a world-class boarding school established in 1894 that attracts students from around the country, he and his friends and teammates all live in a dorm room together on campus. But he’s also considered a day student, so he also is allowed to go home whenever he wants.

That’s not always the best place to be when coach and player are going at it. That might be Dad at the dining room table, but he’s Coach too, so sometimes, when a cooling-off period is is order, it’s easier to just go to his dorm room.

Trey and Mark always work through it, but Trey’s mother, Dawn, often has to be the arbitrator.

“Mom is a good referee, and she doesn’t really pick sides, which is good,’’ Trey said. “Moms usually take the kid’s side, but not my mom. If I’m wrong, like if I’m being immature or not listening about something, she’ll tell me and she’ll take my dad’s side. But she’ll pick me up, too.

“My mom is the best. She’s always there for me, all the time. But she doesn’t let me get away with anything either, and when she takes my dad’s side, she’ll tell me why. She’s very involved in everything we do with basketball, too, so she’s always got a good answer for everything.’’

The Galloway family journey has been quite a ride. Mark coached at Carmel for eight years, and he’s in his 10th year at Culver now. He’s won six sectional titles, three regionals, a semistate, and a Class 3A state title at Culver in 2018.

The first place Trey ever went, just a week or so after he was born, was to one of his Dad’s basketball games. Dad as a coach is all Trey has ever known.

That father/son and coach/player relationship is heading down the home stretch. It’s their last year together before Trey ventures south to Bloomington to start his college career with the Hoosiers next season.

“I try not to think about it being over, because if I did, I’d just be crying all day long,’’ Dawn Galloway said. “We’re a basketball family, and we have been since Day 1. So I’m just taking this year one day at a time so I can keep from crying.’’

Dawn Galloway and Trey at an event at Culver. (Photos courtesy of Dawn Galloway)

What’s next at Indiana for Galloway

Indiana is getting a player that will fill some needs quickly. He is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard who is a terrific defender, “one of best defenders I’ve ever coached,’’ Mark Galloway said. He’s also “more athletic than he gets credit for,’’ and can play both guard spots now, and possibly in the future.

He was the first player to commit to Archie Miller in this 2020 class, and he’s been joined by close friend and teammate Anthony Leal of Bloomington South and Jordan Geronimo of Newark, N.J. They make up the 27th-ranked class in the country.

Miller can’t wait to coach him.

"Trey is an extremely competitive guard,’’ Miller said. “He's going to be a 210-pound backcourt guy who can play 1, 2 or 3. He is deceptively athletic and he can run the lanes as good as anyone we've recruited in the last couple of years."

Miller, who loves that all three recruits have played at championship levels in high school and AAU ball, said Galloway will be an immediate fan favorite inside Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall, and said he’s “going to be a capable defender right out of the gate in college.’’

Trey Galloway (left) and Anthony Leal have become fast friends after playing AAU basketball together for years with Indiana Elite. 

Galloway and Leal were AAU teammates at Indiana Elite, and they’ve been talking about playing together for years. Leal’s commitment came right after Galloway’s, and they both worked hard to recruit 5-star center Dawson Garcia, especially since both them spent a lot of time playing with Garcia all summer. It didn't work because Garcia chose Marquette instead of Indiana.

“It hurt not to get Dawson. We tried really hard, trust me. So did the coaches,’’ Trey Galloway said. “We always touched base and talked on how special we could be if we added him to that group. We spent a lot of time together and we thought we all bonded pretty well.

“It was so close. We had a good connection. He enjoyed his visit, and knew how special Indiana was, but I think he had his mind set on Marquette for a while now. He had a long relationship with them, and they’ve been on him hard for years. It was close, though.’’

Galloway always hoped that he’d get the chance to play at Indiana, so he’s thrilled that it played out the way it did.

“It means a lot to be a part of that class, especially with Anthony being a part of it. We’ve got that chemistry already going in,’’ Galloway said. “Anthony’s a great friend, and Jordan and I talk on the phone a lot, and we have a lot of the same goals.’’

Even though Galloway grew up in Indiana, the Hoosiers weren’t always his favorite school. Mark coached Josh McRoberts at Carmel and he went to Duke. Young Trey then instantly became a Duke fan, and was often seen wearing Duke gear.

Because former Carmel player Josh McRoberts played at Duke, Trey became a fan of the Blue Devils as a kid. 

“Indiana wasn’t always the dream school when I was little. I grew up liking Indiana, but I was probably a bigger Duke fan,’’ Trey said. “My dad coached Josh and when he went to Duke, that’s what I knew. I had a lot of Duke gear when I was younger. Duke and Indiana were my main two teams to root for, because my Dad coached a few guys (walk-ons Daniel Moore and Brett Finkelmeier) who went there, too.

“When my recruiting started, I’d say there were 5-to-10 schools that were always in it. I only took two official visits, to Iowa and Indiana. I was planning on taking more my senior year, but once I made up my mind with Indiana, the rest of it stopped.’’

Miller spent a lot of time watching Galloway, and the family always noticed. Over time, Trey and his parents were hoping for an Indiana offer, and when it came, he quickly said yes.

His mother Dawn said Trey didn’t like to talk about all the recruiting every day, and just wanted it all to play out. It did.

“I just tried to make sure I was always there for him,’’ Dawn Galloway said. “We always said, ‘You’ll be fine. God has a plan for you.’ There’d be days we’d wonder what it was, and I’d be like, ‘Come on, God. Really?’

“We really wanted it to be Indiana, but for a lot of the time, that was never a guarantee. We were hopeful, but it wasn’t a sure thing. So when they offered and he said yes, we were all very excited. I grew up in Indiana too. I went to Westview over by Shipshewana (in northeast Indiana), and that was a big-time basketball area, too. I know what it’s like to play for Indiana, and all the tradition. We’re thrilled to be a part of that.’’

After Trey Galloway committed to Indiana, his mom put all his Purdue T-shirts out on the front lawn for other kids to wear. "We didn't need them anymore,'' she said

They love that Trey and Leal will continue to play together.

“Anthony is like a son to me,’’ Dawn said. “He’s been up here the past two summers, just hanging out at the lake for a week or so, and he’s such a wonderful kid. The whole family is great. I’m just thrilled that we’ll get to experience all of this together.’’

Trey is already close with several of his future teammates, too.

"Me, Trayce (Jackson-Davis) and Armaan (Franklin) probably text the most, because of our age,’’ Galloway said of Indiana’s two current true freshmen. “I know them better. Those two, and Rob (Phinisee), too. He was Indiana Elite too, so I know him. The other guys, we all keep in touch too.

“I can’t wait to play with them all.’’

The Galloways during Trey's official visit to Indiana

Growing up to be a basketball star

Mark took the Culver job when Trey was 10, so the family moved to the small town situated on Lake Maxinkuckee. Trey went to public school, and then enrolled at Culver as a freshman.

Growing up as a basketball family, there was never any doubt in Mark’s mind that he was going to coach Trey someday, and he was fine with it.

“We’ve been around a lot of people who coached their sons, and Trey was always around that too,'' said Mark, who was a fine college player himself at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind., back in the day. "Guys like Jack Edison, Homer Drew, Mike Lightfoot — and even Archie Miller now — they were all guys who knew what it was like to do the father-son thing. I talked to a lot of them about coaching my own son.

“I’ve always loved it. Trey is the most loyal kid I’ve ever gotten to coach. That’s all been great, but it’s also great just being his dad. We love to go fishing together, and when we go, we never talk basketball. But, let’s face it, we’re a competitive family. We always wind up competing with each other to catch the biggest fish.’’

Competing for championships runs through their blood, too. Winning a state title in 2018 was a dream come true for Mark, something he’d always dreamed of as a coach. Having Trey along for the ride as a sophomore “was the cherry on top.’’

The tight-knit family atmosphere at Culver made it special, too. Because the players all live together, there’s a close bond. But it’s also different. For instance, everyone leaves for two weeks for Christmas break, so there are no practices or games. And the year they won the state title in Indianapolis, it was the Saturday before spring break. So after the game, all the players went their separate ways.

“On the bus ride back home, it was just Mark and I and Trey … and the trophy, of course. Just the ‘four’ of us,’’ Dawn said with a hearty laugh. “That was a very special moment, one that I’ll never forget. I mean, who gets that? Just my husband and my son and I, all alone on the bus ride home back to Culver.‘’

“Winning state was extremely exciting, and I was so proud of Mark, because that was something he’s worked for for a lot of years. And to be able to share it with Trey was great.’’

Mark and Trey Galloway have "learned to work together'' and coach and player

The rest of the family

Trey has an older brother, 24-year-old Zachary, and he has helped define the young man Trey has become. Zachary has autism. He’s high-functioning, but he still has needs.

“Zachary’s not really able to show emotion a lot, so their relationship can be a little different,'' Dawn said. "They were closer when Trey was little, but when he started playing basketball, it was hard for Zachary because he couldn’t play. But they love each other, and they’re always there for each other.

“It’s been good for Trey, to have a brother with needs. It gives him a better perspective on life, I think. I think because of Zach, Trey is more tolerant of things, and he’s more thankful. He knows with his little problems, it could always be worse.’’

The role of big brother has changed throughout the years, and it's flipped back and forth between the two. Zach won’t talk basketball much around the house, but he brags on his brother outside of the house all the time.

“When he’s at work (at the Marshall-Starke Development Center in Plymouth), they’ll call me and tell me that Zachary has been going on and on about Trey and his basketball,’’ Dawn said. “That brings me to tears sometimes, too. He really, really loves his brother.’’

Mark said that what Trey has learned the most from Zachary is compassion.

“When you have a brother with special needs, you just learn the need to do more,’’ Mark said. “Trey gets that. It’s been fun to watch. When Trey was little, he used to want to wear Zach’s shirts all the time, and now Zach wants to wear his.

“They’re good brothers together, and it’s great to see.’’

The Galloway family: Zachary, Dawn, Mark and Trey

Weird start to final season

Trey’s final season playing for his father has gotten off to a strange start. Mark was suspended for the first four games for violating three minor IHSAA bylaws, the most egrigious being his players competing during an alumni game at reunion weekend at a time when on-court contact between players and coaches wasn’t allowed. The school self-reported the violations, and the IHSAA agreed to a four-game suspension.

“I hated missing those games, because I would pay money to watch our team,'' Mark said. "It’s a fun team to watch, and my assistants did a great job.’’

Culver won all four games without Mark, with Trey averaging 25 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He had 35 points one night. Mark returned Friday night, but Trey couldn’t go because of a wrist injury. It’s similar to the injury he had last year, and he’ll miss three weeks.

“There’s no break or fracture, just a deep contusion, the doctor said,’’ Dawn Galloway said. “There were a lot of broken blood vessels, so it just needs time to heal. Three weeks, he said. And then we’ll see. Better now than a few months from now, that’s for sure.’’

Trey hopes to be back by January, but Mark said they will be cautious. They want Trey healthy for the postseason, which matters the most. Missing an extra game or two now doesn’t matter as much, even if it meant back-to-back losses this weekend to Zionsville and Bloomington South.

“I said that last night. No one has ever cut down any nets in December,’’ Mark said.

When he returns, Trey will resume his chase to become Culver’s all-time leading scorer. He’s only 188 points behind Jackson Atoyebi’s record of 1,431 points that's stood for nearly 20 years.

Father and son — coach and player — can’t wait to get back out there together. They even clashed over his injury when Trey hurt his wrist on Monday, but they’ve also learned from it.

“He fell on his wrist Monday after a dunk when he was told not to dunk in practice,’’ Mark said. “I jumped all over him. He shot back at me that he got undercut, and then I shot back that he wasn’t supposed to be doing it anyway.

“But then we just stopped. He said, ‘We’re both just frustrated. Let’s work together on it.’ It might have been the most mature thing he ever said. And I guess it was mature on my part to agree with him. We let it be.’’

The hardest part, Mark said, is seeing a kid — especially his own son — missing games as a senior, especially Saturday night’s showdown with Leal and Bloomington South at Southport High School.

“You hate to miss the biggest game in the state, but there will be bigger ones down the road,’’ Mark said.

There certainly are.

Mark and Trey Galloway share a laugh as father and son.