Pat Sullivan (American football)

College coach infobox


Name = Pat Sullivan
| ImageWidth =
Caption =
Title = Head coach
College = Samford
Sport = Football
Conference = Ohio Valley
CurrentRecord =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1950|1|18
Birthplace = Birmingham, AL
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
OverallRecord = 28–49–1
Contract =
BowlRecord = 0–1
TournamentRecord =
CFbDWID = 2266
Championships = 1994 Southwest Conference Champion
Awards = 1994 SWC Coach of the Year
1971 Heisman Trophy
CoachingRecords =
Player = Y
Years = 1969-1971
1972-1975
1976-1977
Team = Auburn
Atlanta Falcons
Washington Redskins
Position = Quarterback
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1986-1991
1992-1997
1999-2006
2007-"present"
CoachTeams = Auburn (QB)
TCU
UAB (OC)
Samford
FootballHOF = 1991
CollegeHOFID = 70002
BBallHOF =

Patrick Joseph Sullivan (born January 18, 1950) is a former American football player, winner of the 1971 Heisman Trophy, and college football coach.

Sullivan is currently the head coach for Samford University. He was previously head coach at Texas Christian University (TCU) and offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Biography

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Sullivan began his athletic career as a three-sport star at Birmingham's John Carroll Catholic High School. Although a talented baseball and basketball player, he chose to play football for Auburn University where he would become the starting quarterback in 1969 under the tutelage of head coach Shug Jordan. Over the next three seasons, the height|ft=6|in=0 tall and convert|190|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on Sullivan would break school and NCAA records for passing while leading the team to a 26-7 record. In 1970, he led the NCAA in total offense with 2,856 yards and set an NCAA record for most yards per play with 8.57. In his career, he was responsible for 71 touchdowns (53 passing/18 rushing) to tie the NCAA record. In his senior season, Sullivan completed 162 passes on 281 attempts for 2,012 yards and 20 touchdowns. This performance was enough to edge out Ed Marinaro for the 1971 Heisman Trophy. Also an excellent student, Sullivan was named an Academic All-American and graduated with a bachelor's of science in business administration in 1972. Sullivan finished his college career with 6,284 passing yards and 57 touchdowns, along with another 18 touchdowns on the ground.

After college, Sullivan had a short professional football career playing first with the Atlanta Falcons from 1972 to 1976 and then the Washington Redskins in 1976 and 1977. He left football to enter private business in Birmingham where he worked in insurance and as a tire company executive. Sullivan also spent five seasons doing radio color commentary for Auburn football games before joining the staff at Auburn in 1986 as quarterbacks coach under head coach Pat Dye. He worked with AU quarterbacks Jeff Burger, Reggie Slack, and Stan White during his six years at Auburn.

On January 2, 1992, Sullivan became the 27th head football coach of Texas Christian University, inheriting a probation-racked team. After two losing seasons, he led TCU to a 7-5 mark in 1994 to win a share of the Southwest Conference championship, the school's first SWC title since 1959. Following the 1994 season, prior to the Horned Frogs' appearance in the Independence Bowl vs. the University of Virginia, Sullivan agreed to become the head coach at LSU. However, LSU officials could not negotiate a buyout of Sullivan's TCU contract, and the Tigers hired Vanderbilt University coach Gerry DiNardo three days later.

The next season produced another winning record of 6-5 before TCU joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1996 and fell once again on hard times. Losing seasons in 1996 and 1997 resulted in Sullivan's resignation in October 1997 with an overall record of 24-42-1. However, he is best noted for recruiting LaDainian Tomlinson to play at TCU.

In January 1999, Sullivan became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of UAB. He helped develop Darrell Hackney into the best quarterback in UAB history who was able to make it to the NFL as an undrafted free agent picked up by the Cleveland Browns.

After neck surgery in September 2003, Sullivan was diagnosed with throat cancer by Dr. William R. Carroll (squamous cell carcinoma) and began chemotherapy and radiation treatments in December. In April 2004, doctors told him he was clear of cancer cells but he continues to be monitored for recurrence. Sullivan missed only one game in the 2003 season due to treatment but lost around 50 pounds over the course of his treatment.

On December 1, 2006, Sullivan was named head coach at Samford University, replacing Bill Gray.

Sullivan is married to the former Jean Hicks of Birmingham and they have three children — Kim, and twins Kelly and Patrick, Jr.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = TCU Horned Frogs
startyear = 1992
conf = Southwest Conference
endyear = 1995CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1992
name = TCU
overall = 2–8–1
conference = 1–6
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1993
name = TCU
overall = 4–7
conference = 2–5
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1994
name = TCU
overall = 7–5
conference = 4–3
confstanding =
bowlname = Independence Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1995
name = TCU
overall = 6–5
conference = 3–4
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = TCU
overall = 19–25–1
confrecord = 10–18CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = TCU Horned Frogs
startyear = 1996
conf = Western Athletic Conference
endyear = 1997CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1996
name = TCU
overall = 4–7
conference = 3–5
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1997
name = TCU
overall = 1–10
conference = 1–7
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = TCU
overall = 5–17
confrecord = 4–12CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Samford Bulldogs
startyear = 2007
conf = Ohio Valley Conference
endyear = presentCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2007
name = Samford
overall = 4–7
conference = 2–6
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Samford
overall = 4–7
confrecord = 2–6CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 28–49–1
bcs =
poll = two
polltype =

Honors and awards

*Heisman Trophy - 1971
*All-American - 1970, 1971 (unanimous)
*SEC Player of the Year - 1970, 1971
*Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player - 1970
*Sugar Bowl Most Valuable Player - 1971
*Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player - 1972
*College All-Star Game Most Valuable Player - 1972
*Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
*National Football Foundation Hall of Fame
*Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame
*Gator Bowl Hall of Fame
*Senior Bowl Hall of Fame
*College Football Hall of Fame - 1991
*Southwest Conference Coach of the Year - 1994

References

*Cordell, Carten (December 2, 2004) [http://www.theplainsman.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/12/02/41af4c6873999?template=pda Glory Days] "The Auburn Plainsman"

External links

* [http://uabsports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/sullivan_pat00.html UAB official biography]
* [http://www.heisman.com/winners/p-sullivan71.html Heisman Award biography]
* [http://www.dowell.com/dondowell/tcu/fball96/coaches/sullivan.htm Biography from TCU coaching tenure]