Bob Sullivan (American football coach)

Bob Sullivan

Biographical details
Born	c. 1937 (age 87–88)
Alma mater	Saint John's University (1959) Wisconsin State College–River Falls
Playing career
1955–1956	Saint John's (MN)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1957	Saint John's (MN) (assistant freshman)
1958	Saint John's (MN) (freshman)
1959–1969	Hill HS (MN)
1970–1978	Cooper HS (MN)
1979–2000	Carleton
2001–2018	Northfield HS (MN) (volunteer)
Head coaching record
Overall	101–114 (college)
Tournaments	0–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 MWC Blue Division (1979) 1 MIAC (1992)
Awards
MIAC (1992) Carleton 'C' Club (2002)

Robert Sullivan (born c. 1937) is an American former college football coach. He was the head football coach for Carleton College from 1979 to 2000.

Career

Sullivan played college football for Saint John's for his freshman and sophomore year.[1]

As a junior at Saint John's in 1957, Sullivan was told by coach John Gagliardi that he would be better off as a coach rather than a player, so he helped coach the freshman football team.[1] As a senior in 1958, he was the head freshman coach.[1] In 1959, he began his high school coaching career as the head football coach for Hill High School.[2] He led the school to two state championships and were runner-ups four times. After eleven seasons, in 1970 he became the head football coach for Cooper High School.[2] He ended his tenure with Cooper winning twenty of his last 23 games. In 1979, he was hired as the head football coach for Carleton.[3][4][5][6] In 22 seasons as head coach he led the school to a 101–114 record. In 1979 he led the team to a Midwest Conference (MWC) Blue Division title.[7][8] In 1992, he had his best season as he finished the year going 9–2 and won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) alongside a trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs.[2] He resigned following the 2000 season.[9][10] From 2001 to 2018 he served as a volunteer assistant coach under his son for Northfield High School.[11]

Honors

In 2002, Sullivan was inducted into the Carleton 'C' Club.[12]

In 2022, Carleton's football field was renamed in Sullivan's honor to Bob Sullivan Field.[11][13][14]

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Carleton Knights (Midwest Conference) (1979–1981)
1979	Carleton	4–5	4–0	1st (Blue)
1980	Carleton	6–3	6–2	3rd
1981	Carleton	7–2	6–2	T–2nd
Carleton Knights (Midwest Conference / Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1982)
1982	Carleton	6–2	4–1 / 0–0	2nd (South) / N/A[n 1]
Carleton Knights (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1983–2000)
1983	Carleton	2–8	1–8	10th
1984	Carleton	3–7	2–6	8th
1985	Carleton	5–5	4–5	T–5th
1986	Carleton	7–3	6–3	T–3rd
1987	Carleton	6–4	5–4	T–4th
1988	Carleton	7–3	6–3	4th
1989	Carleton	7–3	6–3	3rd
1990	Carleton	5–5	5–4	6th
1991	Carleton	5–5	3–5	T–7th
1992	Carleton	9–2	8–1	1st	L NCAA Division III First Round
1993	Carleton	6–4	5–4	5th
1994	Carleton	3–7	3–6	8th
1995	Carleton	3–7	3–6	8th
1996	Carleton	5–5	4–5	T–5th
1997	Carleton	2–8	1–8	9th
1998	Carleton	2–8	1–8	T–9th
1999	Carleton	2–8	1–8	T–8th
2000	Carleton	1–9	1–8	9th
Carleton:		101–114	81–99
Total:		101–114
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

1. Ineligible for conference title

References

1. Reusse, Patrick (December 7, 2000). "Gagliardi is going strong at age of 74". Star Tribune. p. 53. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
2. "Bob Sullivan - Professor of Phys Ed, Athletics & Recreation, Emeritu". Carleton College. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
3. "Jottings". Star Tribune. February 6, 1979. p. 22. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
4. "Prep points". Star Tribune. April 10, 1979. p. 23. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
5. "Carleton got coach it wanted in Sullivan". The Minneapolis Star. February 9, 1979. p. 29. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
6. "College notes". Star Tribune. February 7, 1979. p. 28. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
7. Paustian, John L. (November 9, 1979). "Vikings battle Carleton, seek first championship in 4 years". The Post-Crescent. p. 30. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
8. Curtin, Irwin (November 11, 1979). "Lawrence rips Carleton 52-7". Star Tribune. p. 51. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
9. "Carleton's Sullivan announces retirement". Star Tribune. November 1, 2000. p. 32. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
10. "Carleton football coach calling it quits". The Austin Daily Herald. November 1, 2000. p. 6. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
11. "Carleton to name football field after longtime coach Bob Sullivan". Carleton College. October 14, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
12. "2002 'C' Club Hall of Fame Inductees". Carleton Alumni Network. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
13. "Carleton to name football field after former head coach Bob Sullivan". Carleton College. October 14, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
14. Thompson, Pamela (October 17, 2022). "Legendary Carleton College coach honored with football field naming". Northfield News. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

External links

• Carleton profile