Printer Friendly
Email This Page
News Release
TOM SULLIVAN SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2006-07 SEASON
7/9/2002
UMBC Head Men's Basketball Coach Tom Sullivan has signed a two-year contract extension through the 2006-2007 season, it was announced today by Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Brown. Entering his eighth season in Baltimore, Sullivan has transformed the Retrievers from a lackluster Division I program to one which has competed for regular season and post-season Northeast Conference titles each year. The Bronx, New York native has the most coaching victories (92) in UMBC's 16-year Division I history and is second all-time to Billy Jones' (1974-86) 134 wins. "Tom Sullivan has brought UMBC a consistent winner," said Dr. Brown. "I believe that under his leadership, we will reach our goal of being an NCAA participant." Sullivan came to UMBC after the 1994-95 campaign, and after a pair of difficult seasons, earned Big South Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1997-98 with an 8.5-game improvement to finish at 14-14. The following season, UMBC's first in the Northeast Conference, the Retrievers stunned the league by winning a then-league record 17 games and taking the regular season title. Sullivan earned NEC Coach of the Year honors for that 19-9 campaign. A depleted squad still managed to win 11 games and earn an NEC Tournament bid the following year, and the last two seasons have seen UMBC put together back-to-back winning records for the first time in their Division I history. In both the 2000-2001 season and this past year, UMBC won the Battle of Baltimore Classic, and capped the 2001-2002 season by becoming the first Retriever Division I team to win 20 (20-9) games. The Retriever mentor leads active NEC coaches with a league winning percentage of .667 (52-26) and is fourth all-time amongst NEC coaches in winning percentage. Sullivan, 52, had previously signed a six-year contract agreement through the 2004-2005 season in 1999. Coach Sullivan is now 246-230 in 17 years as a head coach. After a distinguished four-year playing career at Fordham ('72), where he won The Haggerty Award as New York's top collegiate player, Sullivan took over New Hampshire College program in 1976. He had three 20-win seasons in nine years, then helped P.J. Carlesimo build a national power at Seton Hall from 1987-94. After a 10-44 start at UMBC, Sullivan is 82-61 over the last five years, to compile a 92-105 ledger to date in Baltimore. The Retrievers will return seven letterwinners and three starters from last season's 20-9 team, which finished tied for second (15-5) in the NEC. THE TOM SULLIVAN FILEFordham University, '72Overall Record: 246-230 (17 years)Record at UMBC: 92-105 (7 years)NEC Record: 52-26 (4 years) Leader amongst active NEC coaches in winning percentage, fourth all-time in regular season games.Career Milestones1972 Haggerty Award Winner, Fordham University1979-80, 1980-81 New England Coach of the Year, New Hampshire College 1988-89 Assistant Coach, National Finalists, Seton Hall University1997-98 Big South Coach of the Year, UMBC1998-99 NEC Coach of the Year, UMBC NEC Record, Most Victories (15) to Start an NEC Season2000-01 Battle of Baltimore Champions, UMBC2001-02 Battle of Baltimore Champions, UMBC First 20-Win Season in UMBC DI history First Back-to-Back Winning Seasons in UMBC Division I history Winningest Coach in UMBC DI history (92)