Bill Ross, Allegheny College Director of Athletics and Recreation, is excited to announce that former Wabash College associate head coach Pat Sullivan has been named the next head coach of the Gator men’s basketball team.
No stranger to Allegheny, Sullivan has both played and coached against the Gators during his time in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). A 2009 graduate of Denison University, Sullivan has spent the past decade developing Wabash into one of the premier programs in the Midwest.
“I’d like to thank Dr. Ron Cole, Bill Ross, and the entire search committee for the opportunity, and the trust, to lead the men’s basketball program,” Sullivan said. “I have long admired and respected Allegheny College as both a player and a coach, and I am excited to be a part of the tremendous vision these leaders share for the future.
“I am confident that our current and future student-athletes, their families, our esteemed alumni, and our campus community will be proud of the program that we begin building today. We have high expectations to restore a standard of excellence that Allegheny College deserves.”
Sullivan, the 20th head coach in Allegheny program history, brings with him an impressive winning record and a culture of excellence on and off the court throughout his 15 years of coaching experience.
“We are excited to bring in Pat Sullivan to lead our men’s basketball program,” said Ross. “He has a proven track record for commitment to excellence in academics, athletics, and the community as a part of the well-rounded student-athlete experience.
“Coach Sullivan has long been considered one of the top assistant coaches in college basketball. He knows what it takes to compete at the highest level, and that knowledge will help propel our program upward. His understanding of the recruitment process and focus on player development aligns perfectly with our goals in the athletic department. Just as important is his understanding of our proud history of men’s basketball, and I know he will work tirelessly to build upon that tradition.”
Sullivan joined the Little Giants as an assistant coach in 2014 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2019. During his tenure, Wabash posted a 167-93 overall record with six winning seasons. More recently, with Sullivan as the associate head coach, the Little Giants have flourished since returning to full-time action following the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past three years, the Little Giants won three consecutive NCAC Tournaments and qualified for back-to-back-to-back NCAA Division III Championships. In 2021-22, Sullivan helped guide Wabash to its first-ever NCAC championship and a berth in the Division III semifinals with a program-record 28 wins. After the 2023-24 season, the NCAC recognized Sullivan and his colleagues with the Coaching Staff of the Year award.
In charge of scouting, recruiting, and player development at Wabash, Sullivan has mentored 18 All-NCAC selections, two NCAC Players of the Year, two National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Americans, and the winner of the 2022 Jostens Trophy, which is awarded annually to the Division III Outstanding Athlete of the Year. He also helped coach the program’s all-time leading scorer. Wabash’s success wasn’t limited to the court, as five Little Giants have garnered Academic All-America honors since 2016.
An active member of the Wabash community outside of basketball, Sullivan previously served as the College’s assistant to the dean of students for five years and as an advisor for the student senate for two.
Under current Wabash head coach Kyle Brumett, Sullivan began his coaching career at Defiance College in 2009. He helped the Yellow Jackets reach the 20-win mark twice in five seasons. In 2009-10, Defiance won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) and reached the NCAA tournament with 23 wins, the most in a season since 1987-88. Sullivan coached a pair of Yellow Jacket All-Americans and the program’s second all-time leading scorer.
Originally from Loveland, Ohio, Sullivan was a multi-sport student-athlete at Denison while the Gators were members of the NCAC. He was a three-year starting point guard for the Big Red men’s basketball team, an All-NCAC Honorable Mention as a junior, and team captain as a senior. A two-year member of the Denison men’s soccer team, Sullivan was part of a Big Red team that defeated Allegheny in the 2006 NCAC title game and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Sullivan graduated from Denison in 2009 with a bachelor of arts in communications and economics. In 2011, he completed a master’s in education with a concentration in coaching at Defiance.
