Tom Sullivan (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tom" Sullivan is an American
former professional basketball player and college coach.
. He played collegiately at Fordham University
and was a four-year letterwinner from 1968–69 through 1971–72, playing the center
position. As a senior
, Sullivan was the Rams' co-captain and named the team MVP
. He guided Fordham to a berth
in the National Invitation Tournament
where they would lose in the first round to Jacksonville. At the end of that season, Sullivan was presented with the Haggerty Award
, given annually since 1935–36 to the top male collegiate basketball player in the greater New York City area. He was the co-recipient with Manhattan's Richie Garner
, becoming the first duo to share the award in its history up to that point.
Following his career at Fordham, Sullivan was chosen in the 1972 NBA Draft
by the New York Knicks
. He was taken in the ninth round (139th overall). Although he was drafted, Sullivan never played in the National Basketball Association
. Instead, he went to Italy
to play professionally in 1972–73, took the following year off to coach back in the United States, and then spent the 1974–75 playing again, only this time in Switzerland
. After two seasons in three years playing as an expatriate
professional basketball player, Sullivan returned to the United States to pursue coaching full-time.
during the interim year between professional seasons. His next job came as an assistant coach at New Hampshire College
during 1975–76, and after only one year at the school he became its full-time head coach in 1976. Sullivan stayed at New Hampshire College from 1976–77 through 1984–85 and also concurrently served as the athletic director
for much of his tenure. During his nine-year career at the NCAA Division II school, he compiled an overall record of 152–99, including three 20-win seasons. Sullivan led the team to two Division II New England Region championships (1980, 1981) as he earned regional coach of the year honors both of those years.
He left New Hampshire College to take the reins at Manhattan College
in which he compiled a 2–26 overall record his first year there. Sullivan only stayed one season, however, and left to become P. J. Carlesimo's assistant at Seton Hall
between 1987–88 and 1993–94. During this seven-year stretch, the Pirates made six NCAA Division I Tournaments
, including a national championship game appearance in 1989
, which they lost to Michigan
in overtime.
When Carlesimo left after 1993–94, Sullivan was a finalist for the head coaching vacancy. The position ultimately went to George Blaney
from Holy Cross
. After a one-year absence from coaching, Sullivan became the new head coach at UMBC
in 1995. Over the course of his nine-year coaching career at UMBC, he compiled an overall record of 106–145, becoming the second coach in program history to amass 100 wins. He named the Big South Conference
Coach of the Year in 1998 after an eight-game improvement from the season before, and in 1999 was named the Northeast Conference
Coach of the Year. The school had switched conferences between years, and the 1998–99
season saw the Retrievers set a league record for consecutive wins to begin a season (15) en route to the conference regular season title. Three years later, and for the first time in the program's Division I history, UMBC won 20 games in a season under Sullivan's guidance. After that season he signed a contract extension to be effective through the 2006–07 season. However, after a 7–21 year in 2003–04
, Sullivan resigned. His career college head coaching record is 260–270 in 19 seasons.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional basketball player and college coach.
Playing career
Sullivan grew up in the Bronx, New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He played collegiately at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and was a four-year letterwinner from 1968–69 through 1971–72, playing the center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
position. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
, Sullivan was the Rams' co-captain and named the team MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. He guided Fordham to a berth
1972 National Invitation Tournament
The 1972 National Invitation Tournament was the 1972 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket....
in the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
where they would lose in the first round to Jacksonville. At the end of that season, Sullivan was presented with the Haggerty Award
Haggerty Award
The Haggerty Award is given to the All-Metropolitan New York Division I men's college basketball player of the year, presented by the National Invitation Tournament and the Met Basketball Writers Association...
, given annually since 1935–36 to the top male collegiate basketball player in the greater New York City area. He was the co-recipient with Manhattan's Richie Garner
Richie Garner
Richard "Richie" Garner is an American former basketball player who is best known for his NCAA Division I career at Manhattan College. Garner played for the Jaspers between 1968–69 and 1971–72...
, becoming the first duo to share the award in its history up to that point.
Following his career at Fordham, Sullivan was chosen in the 1972 NBA Draft
1972 NBA Draft
The 1972 NBA Draft was the 26th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 10, 1972 before the 1972–73 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He was taken in the ninth round (139th overall). Although he was drafted, Sullivan never played in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Instead, he went to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to play professionally in 1972–73, took the following year off to coach back in the United States, and then spent the 1974–75 playing again, only this time in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. After two seasons in three years playing as an expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
professional basketball player, Sullivan returned to the United States to pursue coaching full-time.
Coaching career
Sullivan began his coaching career as an assistant at Hunter CollegeHunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
during the interim year between professional seasons. His next job came as an assistant coach at New Hampshire College
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University, also known as SNHU, is a private university in Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. The university is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and also has numerous specialized...
during 1975–76, and after only one year at the school he became its full-time head coach in 1976. Sullivan stayed at New Hampshire College from 1976–77 through 1984–85 and also concurrently served as the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
for much of his tenure. During his nine-year career at the NCAA Division II school, he compiled an overall record of 152–99, including three 20-win seasons. Sullivan led the team to two Division II New England Region championships (1980, 1981) as he earned regional coach of the year honors both of those years.
He left New Hampshire College to take the reins at Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
in which he compiled a 2–26 overall record his first year there. Sullivan only stayed one season, however, and left to become P. J. Carlesimo's assistant at Seton Hall
Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball
The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey...
between 1987–88 and 1993–94. During this seven-year stretch, the Pirates made six NCAA Division I Tournaments
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, including a national championship game appearance in 1989
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
, which they lost to Michigan
1988–89 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
The 1988–89 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1988–89 season. The Head Coach was head coach Bill Frieder, who was dismissed before the 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and replaced by...
in overtime.
When Carlesimo left after 1993–94, Sullivan was a finalist for the head coaching vacancy. The position ultimately went to George Blaney
George Blaney
George R. Blaney is an American basketball coach.Blaney played high school basketball at St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City....
from Holy Cross
Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I competition. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays their home games in the Hart Center...
. After a one-year absence from coaching, Sullivan became the new head coach at UMBC
UMBC Retrievers men's basketball
The UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition as a member of the America East Conference. UMBC has made one postseason appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2008, in which it...
in 1995. Over the course of his nine-year coaching career at UMBC, he compiled an overall record of 106–145, becoming the second coach in program history to amass 100 wins. He named the Big South Conference
Big South Conference
The Big South Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. The conference's football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision...
Coach of the Year in 1998 after an eight-game improvement from the season before, and in 1999 was named the Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
Coach of the Year. The school had switched conferences between years, and the 1998–99
1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season concluded in the 64-team 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament whose finals were held at Tropicana Field in . The Connecticut Huskies earned their first national championship by defeating the Duke Blue Devils 77–74 on March 29, 1999...
season saw the Retrievers set a league record for consecutive wins to begin a season (15) en route to the conference regular season title. Three years later, and for the first time in the program's Division I history, UMBC won 20 games in a season under Sullivan's guidance. After that season he signed a contract extension to be effective through the 2006–07 season. However, after a 7–21 year in 2003–04
2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2003, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5, 2004 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas...
, Sullivan resigned. His career college head coaching record is 260–270 in 19 seasons.