SEATTLE – Following seven years at the helm of the Seattle University men's and women's cross country and track and field programs, and a collegiate coaching career that has spanned nearly 45 years, Kelly Sullivan announced his retirement Wednesday.
"It has been an incredible privilege to be the head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach at Seattle University for the past seven years," Sullivan said. "This has been a rare opportunity to work with so many amazing student athletes, staff and administrators. However, it is time for me to personally take a step back to spend more time with my family and close friends.
"I want to thank Director of Athletics Shaney Fink for all the support she has given our programs and to me personally. I am also forever indebted to each and every one of the coaches who have helped lead our programs the past seven years. There is no way I could have done the job without them. I know the programs are in a great position heading into the last year as a member of the WAC and the amazing future they will all have going into the WCC. I feel incredibly blessed to have been a collegiate track and field and cross country coach for 44 years. I will never take it lightly and I will definitely miss Seattle U. Go Redhawks!"
Sullivan was named the head coach of the Redhawk programs in July 2017. Over his tenure, the Redhawk programs elevated in stature, setting dozens of program records while earning 17 Western Athletic Conference medalist honors across multiple events. In the classroom, the Redhawks consistently performed at a high level, with all six programs earning USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors every year.
"Coach Kelly Sullivan has been a gift to Seattle University and the hundreds of student athletes he has coached during his career," Director of Athletics Shaney Fink said. "He has left an indelible mark on Redhawk Athletics and we are grateful for his many contributions."
Sullivan had a storied collegiate coaching career that began in 1980 at Clackamas Community College and also included tenures at Willamette, Auburn and Oregon State.
Prior to Seattle U, Sullivan re-established track and field and cross country at Oregon State after a 16-year hiatus. He oversaw every facet of building the program, including fundraising and development of the Whyte Track and Field Center facility, and later re-establishing two-sport men's football and track and field competitions for indoor and outdoor track and field. Under Sullivan's guidance, Oregon State football student-athlete Jordan Bishop became the first Beaver, male or female, to earn All-America status when he finished tied for ninth in the high jump at the NCAA Championships in June 2010.
From 1997-2003, Sullivan served as the head coach at Willamette University where he guided the men's track and field team to a sixth-place finish nationally in 2003, while the men's cross country squad was fifth in 2002. In 2003, his women's cross country team placed eighth nationally – the highest finish in school history – and he guided the Bearcats to their first-ever NWC women's cross country title in 2000. Sullivan mentored 23 Division III All-Americans at Willamette, including individuals who won five national championships. Of Sullivan's national champions, Nick Symmonds went on to compete for Team USA in the 800m in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Sullivan also oversaw construction and design for a new track facility at Willamette in 1998.
Before coaching the Bearcats, Sullivan was head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Auburn from 1984-96. During that time, Sullivan's 1985 men's team finished 12th at the NCAA Championships, his female athletes broke every Auburn distance record and earned trips to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1994 and 1995.
At Auburn, Sullivan coached 36 All-Americans in cross country and track, including 1988 steeplechase Olympian and former American indoor 3,000m record holder Brian Abshire who started with Sullivan at Clackamas CC prior to transferring when Sullivan took the job at Auburn. Sullivan also coached the first female distance All-American in school history. His last two women's teams placed 16th and 13th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, just six years after he took over the women's distance program.
Prior to coaching at Auburn, Sullivan headed the cross country program and was the assistant track and field coach at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore., coaching 24 NJCAA All-Americans from 1980-84. His men's cross country teams won four straight Oregon Community College titles and four straight NJCAA West Regional titles. His 1981 and 1983 teams were fourth at the NJCAA Cross Country Nationals while the 1982 team was NJCAA runner-up.
Sullivan was a Team USA Assistant Coach at the 2001 World Track & Field Championships and an Assistant Men's Coach in charge of distance events for the 1994 USA Olympic Festival. From 1992-04, Sullivan served as the USATF Men's Distance Development Chair where he oversaw development of 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m steeplechase and marathon, and traveled extensively overseas with the USA Emerging Elite Distance team. From 1988-92, Sullivan was an assistant with Men's Development working with the 3000m steeplechase.
A distance runner from 1975-77 at Clackamas Community College and from 1977-1979 at Willamette University, Sullivan was a 1979 NAIA All-American in cross country and the 3000m Steeplechase. He went on to be inducted into the Willamette Hall of Fame as both an athlete and head coach. Sullivan was inducted into the Clackamas Community College Hall of Fame in December 2014, and into the National Junior College Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sullivan graduated from Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway Beach, Ore. In 1990, he was inducted into the Neah-Kah-Nie High Hall of Fame. At Willamette, he earned a B.S. in history and education.
Seattle University will immediately launch a national search for a new head coach for the cross country and track and field programs.
"It has been an incredible privilege to be the head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach at Seattle University for the past seven years," Sullivan said. "This has been a rare opportunity to work with so many amazing student athletes, staff and administrators. However, it is time for me to personally take a step back to spend more time with my family and close friends.
"I want to thank Director of Athletics Shaney Fink for all the support she has given our programs and to me personally. I am also forever indebted to each and every one of the coaches who have helped lead our programs the past seven years. There is no way I could have done the job without them. I know the programs are in a great position heading into the last year as a member of the WAC and the amazing future they will all have going into the WCC. I feel incredibly blessed to have been a collegiate track and field and cross country coach for 44 years. I will never take it lightly and I will definitely miss Seattle U. Go Redhawks!"
Sullivan was named the head coach of the Redhawk programs in July 2017. Over his tenure, the Redhawk programs elevated in stature, setting dozens of program records while earning 17 Western Athletic Conference medalist honors across multiple events. In the classroom, the Redhawks consistently performed at a high level, with all six programs earning USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors every year.
"Coach Kelly Sullivan has been a gift to Seattle University and the hundreds of student athletes he has coached during his career," Director of Athletics Shaney Fink said. "He has left an indelible mark on Redhawk Athletics and we are grateful for his many contributions."
Sullivan had a storied collegiate coaching career that began in 1980 at Clackamas Community College and also included tenures at Willamette, Auburn and Oregon State.
Prior to Seattle U, Sullivan re-established track and field and cross country at Oregon State after a 16-year hiatus. He oversaw every facet of building the program, including fundraising and development of the Whyte Track and Field Center facility, and later re-establishing two-sport men's football and track and field competitions for indoor and outdoor track and field. Under Sullivan's guidance, Oregon State football student-athlete Jordan Bishop became the first Beaver, male or female, to earn All-America status when he finished tied for ninth in the high jump at the NCAA Championships in June 2010.
From 1997-2003, Sullivan served as the head coach at Willamette University where he guided the men's track and field team to a sixth-place finish nationally in 2003, while the men's cross country squad was fifth in 2002. In 2003, his women's cross country team placed eighth nationally – the highest finish in school history – and he guided the Bearcats to their first-ever NWC women's cross country title in 2000. Sullivan mentored 23 Division III All-Americans at Willamette, including individuals who won five national championships. Of Sullivan's national champions, Nick Symmonds went on to compete for Team USA in the 800m in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Sullivan also oversaw construction and design for a new track facility at Willamette in 1998.
Before coaching the Bearcats, Sullivan was head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Auburn from 1984-96. During that time, Sullivan's 1985 men's team finished 12th at the NCAA Championships, his female athletes broke every Auburn distance record and earned trips to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1994 and 1995.
At Auburn, Sullivan coached 36 All-Americans in cross country and track, including 1988 steeplechase Olympian and former American indoor 3,000m record holder Brian Abshire who started with Sullivan at Clackamas CC prior to transferring when Sullivan took the job at Auburn. Sullivan also coached the first female distance All-American in school history. His last two women's teams placed 16th and 13th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, just six years after he took over the women's distance program.
Prior to coaching at Auburn, Sullivan headed the cross country program and was the assistant track and field coach at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore., coaching 24 NJCAA All-Americans from 1980-84. His men's cross country teams won four straight Oregon Community College titles and four straight NJCAA West Regional titles. His 1981 and 1983 teams were fourth at the NJCAA Cross Country Nationals while the 1982 team was NJCAA runner-up.
Sullivan was a Team USA Assistant Coach at the 2001 World Track & Field Championships and an Assistant Men's Coach in charge of distance events for the 1994 USA Olympic Festival. From 1992-04, Sullivan served as the USATF Men's Distance Development Chair where he oversaw development of 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m steeplechase and marathon, and traveled extensively overseas with the USA Emerging Elite Distance team. From 1988-92, Sullivan was an assistant with Men's Development working with the 3000m steeplechase.
A distance runner from 1975-77 at Clackamas Community College and from 1977-1979 at Willamette University, Sullivan was a 1979 NAIA All-American in cross country and the 3000m Steeplechase. He went on to be inducted into the Willamette Hall of Fame as both an athlete and head coach. Sullivan was inducted into the Clackamas Community College Hall of Fame in December 2014, and into the National Junior College Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sullivan graduated from Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway Beach, Ore. In 1990, he was inducted into the Neah-Kah-Nie High Hall of Fame. At Willamette, he earned a B.S. in history and education.
Seattle University will immediately launch a national search for a new head coach for the cross country and track and field programs.
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