Mike Sullivan (American football coach)

Last updated

Mike Sullivan
Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Senior offensive assistant
Personal information
Born: (1967-01-28) January 28, 1967 (age 57)
Santa Maria, California, U.S.
Career information
High school: Cabrillo (CA)
College: Army
Career history
As a coach:
As an administrator:
  • Army (2020)
    Director of recruiting
Career highlights and awards
Coaching stats at PFR

Mike Sullivan (born January 28, 1967) is an American football coach who is currently the senior offensive assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was the wide receivers coach for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2009 and the quarterbacks coach from 2010 to 2011, and the offensive coordinator for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2013.

Contents

Early years

Sullivan grew up mostly in Southern California and graduated from Cabrillo H.S. in Lompoc, CA in 1985. He then attended the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY where he was a two-year letterman in football as a defensive back, and graduated in 1989. [1] He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer upon graduation, later attending the Army Airborne, Ranger, and Air Assault Schools before serving in the 25th Infantry Division. [2]

Coaching career

New York Giants (2004–2011)

Quarterbacks coach (2004–2011)

Sullivan served as the Giants' quarterbacks coach where his coaching was cited as a major reason for Eli Manning's success in his early seasons. He was the main reason for Eli Manning's historic 2010 season. Manning set franchise records with 339 completions and a 62.9 completion percentage, as well as his second season with over 4,000 yards, but also threw a then career-high 25 interceptions.

He remained on the staff as the quarterbacks coach in 2011, coaching Eli Manning to perhaps his greatest statistical season. Manning threw for a career-high 4,933 yards, 29 touchdowns with 16 interceptions, and had a completion percentage of over 60% for the fourth year in a row with Mike Sullivan as his position coach. The Giants would go on to win Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots 21-17, with Eli Manning being named Super Bowl MVP under Sullivan's coaching.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012–2014)

On February 10, 2012, Sullivan was hired as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. On December 31, 2012, NFL.com reported that Sullivan will be interviewed by the Chicago Bears for the head coaching position after Lovie Smith was fired. [3] On December 30, 2013, Sullivan was fired along with the rest of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff after two unsuccessful seasons. [4]

Return to the Giants (2015–17)

Quarterbacks coach (2015)

On December 31, 2014, Sullivan was re-hired as the Giants quarterback coach, reuniting with his former team and quarterback, Eli Manning. [5] Sullivan replaced Danny Langsdorf, who left to take the offensive coordinator job at Nebraska.

Offensive Coordinator (2016–17)

On January 14, 2016, Sullivan was promoted to offensive coordinator with the departure of former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, and the hiring of former offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. [6]

Denver Broncos (2018)

On January 4, 2018, Sullivan was named as the quarterbacks coach of the Denver Broncos, taking over for interim QB coach Klint Kubiak. [7] Following the end of the Broncos season, he was not retained by newly-hired head coach Vic Fangio. [8]

Pittsburgh Steelers (2021-present)

On February 4, 2021, Sullivan was hired by the Steelers as quarterbacks coach. [9] After the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada on November 21, 2023, Sullivan was designated as the team's primary play-caller for the remainder of the season, with running backs coach Eddie Faulkner taking over as interim offensive coordinator. [10]

Administrative career

On March 19, 2020, Sullivan returned to West Point as the football team's Director of Recruiting. [11]

Personal life

Sullivan is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He also graduated from U.S. Army Ranger School. He is a 1989 graduate of the United States Military Academy and classmate of Gregory D. Gadson. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Broncos</span> National Football League franchise in Denver, Colorado

The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Williams (quarterback)</span> American football player, coach, and executive (born 1955)

Douglas Lee Williams is an American football executive and former quarterback and coach. Williams is best known for his performance with the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos, making him the first black quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl. He was named Super Bowl MVP after breaking two Super Bowl passing records: 340 yards total, and being the first to throw four touchdowns in a single quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Leftwich</span> American football coach and former player (born 1980)

Byron Antron Leftwich is an American former football coach and quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, twice receiving MAC Most Valuable Player honors, and was selected seventh overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 NFL Draft. Leftwich held a starting role with the Jaguars during his first four seasons and spent the remainder of his career as a backup for the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Steelers, he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XLIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Griese</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

Brian David Griese is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines.

Steven Leroy DeBerg is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Dorsey</span> American football player and coach (born 1981)

Kenneth Simon Dorsey is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, where he won the national championship and the Maxwell Award in 2001. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft, later playing for the Cleveland Browns and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), before retiring in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirk Koetter</span> American football coach (born 1959)

Dirk Jeffrey Koetter is an American football coach who most recently served as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) from 2016 to 2018 and was the head coach at Boise State from 1998 to 2000 and at Arizona State University from 2001 to 2006, compiling a career college football record of 66–44 (.600). Koetter also served as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, and Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Fox (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1955)

John Fox is an American football coach and former player who previously was a senior defensive assistant for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers (2002–2010), Denver Broncos (2011–2014) and Chicago Bears (2015–2017) of the National Football League (NFL). He coached the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII and the Broncos to Super Bowl XLVIII.

Mike Shula is an American football coach who is the senior offensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was the school's head coach from 2003 to 2006. He was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 1999, the Carolina Panthers from 2013 to 2017, and the New York Giants from 2018 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lynch (American football)</span> American football player and executive (born 1971)

John Terrence Lynch Jr. is an American football executive and former safety who is the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft, later winning Super Bowl XXXVII with them. Lynch also spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos before retiring in 2008 and working as a color commentator for NFL on Fox games until being named general manager of the 49ers in 2017. He made nine Pro Bowls during his career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Shurmur</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Patrick Carl Shurmur is an American football coach who serves as the offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, he most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 2020 to 2021. A 32-year coaching veteran, Shurmur has 21 seasons of NFL experience, including the last 11 years as a head coach or offensive coordinator. Shurmur has four years of experience as a head coach, working in that role with the New York Giants from 2018 to 2019 and with the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2012. He also served as interim head coach for Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the 2015 season. He has been an offensive coordinator for seven seasons, previously coaching in that role with the Minnesota Vikings (2016–2017), Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and the St. Louis Rams (2009–2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Johnson (quarterback)</span> American football player (born 1986)

Joshua Javon Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Johnson has been a member of 14 different NFL teams, the most in league history. He also played in the United Football League (UFL) and the XFL.

Jeremy Bates is an American football coach and former player. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), a position he assumed in February 2012. Bates has previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and quarterbacks coach for the USC Trojans football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike McCoy (American football coach)</span> American football coach and player (born 1972)

Michael P. McCoy is an American football coach and former player who is the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously spent time as quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers, the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, and four seasons as head coach of the San Diego Chargers.

Alex Tanney is an American football coach and former quarterback who serves as the offensive passing game coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Monmouth College and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. Tanney played in the NFL for nine seasons with the Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants before retiring in 2020.

Dwayne Stukes is an American football coach and former defensive back. He was most recently the special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously an assistant special teams coach for the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Denver Broncos season</span> Sports season

The 2012 season was the Denver Broncos' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 53rd overall and their second under head coach John Fox. The offseason was marked by the signing of former Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning on March 20, leading to the team trading incumbent quarterback Tim Tebow to the New York Jets. The Broncos did not have a first-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, and selected defensive end Derek Wolfe as the team's first pick in the second round of the draft.

Nathaniel Hackett is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time assistant to Doug Marrone, Hackett previously served as the offensive coordinator for the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills. He held several positions for the Syracuse Orange in college football from 2010 to 2012. He served as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2022, but was fired during the season after a 4–11 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Rypien</span> American football player (born 1996)

Brett Robert Rypien is a Canadian-American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. He is the nephew of Super Bowl XXVI MVP quarterback Mark Rypien.

Dave Canales is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Lilley, Kevin (December 5, 2015). "Giants QB coach reflects on Army-Navy rivalry". Army Times . Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  2. ↑ Yasinskas, Pat (November 9, 2012). "Veterans Day meaningful to Bucs' OC". ESPN.com . Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  3. ↑ Hanzus, Dan (December 31, 2012). "Mike Sullivan will interview for Chicago Bears job". National Football League . Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Repetitive, archaic and stubborn: a look back at Mike Sullivan and his offense". bucsnation.com. January 1, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Giants hire Mike Sullivan as Quarterbacks Coach". Giants.com. December 31, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Giants to promote Mike Sullivan to OC". NFL.com. January 14, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Broncos reach agreements with two new assistant coaches". denverpost.com. January 4, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Report: Broncos moving on from QB coach Mike Sullivan". Denver Broncos. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  9. ↑ Popejoy, Curt (February 4, 2021). "Report: Steelers to hire Mike Sullivan to be new QB coach". steelerswire.USAToday.com. Steelers Wire. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  10. ↑ Kozora, Alex (November 21, 2023). "Mike Tomlin Confirms Eddie Faulkner Is Steelers' New Offensive Coordinator, Mike Sullivan Will Call Plays". steelersdepot.com. Steelers Depot. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Sullivan Named Football's Director of Recruiting". Army Black Knights . March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  12. ↑ "West Point Class of 1989 | We Strengthen the Line!".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.