Pat Sullivan was hired as Samford’s 35th head football coach on Dec. 1, 2006.
In his six seasons as head coach, Sullivan has had a major impact on the program.
The 2011 and 2012 seasons produced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the Bulldogs had winning records in 1998 and 1999. The 2012 Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 7-4 and a Southern Conference mark of 5-3. The seven overall wins were the most for the program since 2003, and the five conference wins were the most since joining the SoCon in 2008.
The 2012 team also earned its first two wins over ranked opponents since 1994, defeating No. 19 The Citadel and No. 6 Wofford during the season. The Bulldogs entered the rankings at No. 25 for the first time since 1993.
For his efforts, Sullivan was named the league’s Co-Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2012 season.
Also in 2012, four players, Ryan Dudchock, Nicholas Williams, Jaquiski Tartt and Cameron Yaw were named first team All-Conference. Three additional players, Fabian Truss, Jacob Kirschenbaum and Kelsey Pope were named second team All-Conference. Tartt was also named All-American after the 2012 season.
In 2011, the Bulldogs posting a record of 6-5 overall and 4-4 in Southern Conference play, after being picked to finish near the bottom of the league in the preseason.
At the conclusion of the season, five Samford players were named All-Conference. Corey White and Truss were named first team All-Conference, while Dudchock, Pope and Yaw were named to the second team.
The 2010 senior class, Sullivan’s first signing class at Samford, produced an All-American linebacker (Bryce Smith) and the all-time leading collegiate rusher in the history of the state of Alabama (Chris Evans).
In 2008, Sullivan led Samford to its first winning season since 2003 with a 6-5 overall record. The Bulldogs also finished tied for fourth in its first season in the Southern Conference after being picked to finish last in all of the league’s preseason polls.
Following the 2008 season, five Samford players were named to the SoCon’s All-Conference teams, including running back Evans, who became Samford’s first running back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Freshman quarterback Dustin Taliaferro was also named the 2008 SoCon Freshman of the Year.
After the 2009 season, five Samford players were named to the SoCon’s All-Conference team, and three more Bulldogs were named to the league’s All-Freshman team.
In his first season as Samford’s head coach in 2007 the program saw major improvements. The Bulldogs improved in nearly every offensive category from the 2006 season.
In addition to the successes on the field and in recruiting, Sullivan has made a major impact on the school’s fundraising efforts. The Cooney Family Field House, which is named for Birmingham business executive and Samford graduate Gary Cooney was opened prior to the 2009 season in the south end zone of Seibert Stadium. The field house was funded completely from private donations.
The Jean and Pat Sullivan Scholarship was established in 2009 by the Legacy League and a generous anonymous benefactor, and goes each year to a deserving Samford student.
Sullivan, the winner of the 1971 Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Auburn University, is the 35th head football coach in Samford history. He came to Samford after serving on the coaching staff at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) since 1999.
"In every respect, Pat exemplifies the qualities that are important to Samford," Samford President Dr. Andrew Westmoreland said. "People are drawn to the strength of his character, his commitment to his student-athletes, his emphasis on performance in the classroom as well as on the field and his faith. In addition, his teams win. What more could we ask?"
While at UAB, Sullivan worked with the team’s quarterbacks and was the offensive coordinator from 1999-2005. He served as the assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2006. He recruited and coached Darrell Hackney, the all-time leading passer in UAB history, and the third-leading passer in Conference USA history.
During Sullivan’s time at UAB, the Blazers posted an overall record of 43-49, and the 2004 team earned the program’s first bowl bid to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Sullivan also has experience as a head coach at the Division I-FBS level, as he served as the head coach at TCU from 1992-97. He helped lead the Horned Frogs to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 42 years with records of 7-5 in 1994 and 6-5 in 1995. His 1994 team also earned a berth in the Independence Bowl, the school’s first bowl bid in 10 years.
Sullivan was named the 1994 Southwest Conference Coach of the Year. He also earned the Top Newcomer Award from American Football Quarterly in 1995 after taking the program from a 2-8-1 record in 1992 to the consecutive winning seasons in 1994 and 1995. His six-year record at TCU was 24-42-1.
Before becoming head coach at TCU, Sullivan spent six seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Auburn University. Sullivan coached the quarterbacks at Auburn, coaching three of the top passers in the program’s history (Jeff Burger, Reggie Slack and Stan White). Sullivan, working under head coach Pat Dye, helped Auburn win three Southeastern Conference championships (1987, ’88, ’89) and post an overall record of 52-16-3.
Sullivan, a 1972 graduate of Auburn, was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Tigers (1969-71). In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy, he was named an All-American and the SEC Player of the Year in 1970 and 1971. He helped lead Auburn to three post-season bowl appearances, and was named the MVP of the 1970 Gator Bowl and the 1971 Sugar Bowl.
Following his senior season, Sullivan was named the MVP of the 1972 Senior Bowl, and he played in the College All-Star Classic, taking on the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys.
Sullivan played professional football for five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers.
Sullivan is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and the National High School Hall of Fame.
Sullivan has previous ties to Samford as his father, Jerry, played football at Samford (then Howard College) in 1949 and 1950. One of the elder Sullivan’s teammates was Bobby Bowden.
Sullivan and his wife, Jean, have three children, daughter Kim, and twins Kelly and Patrick. The couple also has eight grandchildren, Alex, Jay, Mallory, Joseph, Taylor, Lucy, John Michael and Claire.
