AUBURN, Ala. – Samford head football coach Pat Sullivan was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Auburn University Alumni Association.
 
Sullivan was one of four individuals selected for the honor. The four selected individuals were honored at an awards ceremony at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel and Conference Center at Grand National recently.
 
Sullivan was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Tigers and was named the winner of the 1971 Heisman Trophy. He was also named an All-American and the SEC Player of the Year in both 1970 and 1971. Following his senior season, he 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. He is a member of six halls of fame, including Senior Bowl, Gator Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Alabama Sports, National Football and National High School.
 
Sullivan has served as Samford's 35th head football coach for the past seven seasons. In 2013, he led the program to its first Southern Conference championship. The 2013 squad also earned its first NCAA Division I-FCS Playoff bid since 1992. His last three Samford teams have posted three-straight winning seasons for the first time since 1999, and Sullivan was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 2012.
 
Sullivan was also head coach at TCU from 1992 to 1997. In 1994 and 1995, he led the Horned Frogs to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 42 years. 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.
 
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.