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Pat Sullivan, one of only eight Carolina players to play on three Final Four teams, is in his third year as an assistant coach at his alma mater. Prior to joining the UNC coaching staff in October 1997, Sullivan spent two seasons on the Tar Heel basketball staff as an administrative assistant and assistant video coordinator. "Pat has added a lot to our staff," says head coach Bill Guthridge. "He's the youngest of the four coaches, so he relates well to our players and what they face each day here at Carolina, academically, athletically and socially. He knows what to expect and is a good bridge to the players and other coaches. He works with the big men and has a good understanding of all the drills, since he is just a few years removed from participating in them. "Pat is one of the few players in ACC history to have played in three Final Fours and now he has coached in a Final Four. As a player, there wasn't a more unselfish, hard-working player in the game and his love of the sport is obvious." Sullivan, a native of Bogota, N.J., played in 118 games for the Tar Heels from 1990-1995. He exemplified the unselfish nature for which Carolina teams have been known. After playing three seasons, he requested that he red-shirt the 1993-94 season. The following year, he missed the first 21 games due to ruptured discs in his back, but returned in time to play in the final 13 games, including the Final Four in Seattle. He was a member of the regular playing rotation in 1992-93 when the Tar Heels went 34-4 and beat Michigan to win the NCAA title in New Orleans. Sullivan also played against Kansas in the 1991 Final Four in Indianapolis. He joins a list of Tar Heel players to play in three Final Fours that includes Joe Brown, Bill Bunting, Rusty Clark, Dick Grubar, Gerald Tuttle, Serge Zwikker and Shammond Williams. Carolina played in the ACC Tournament championship game in all five of Sullivan's seasons. He is the only player in ACC history who has been a part of five consecutive ACC title games. UNC won ACC titles in 1991 and 1994. The Tar Heels posted an overall record of 142-33 in those five years. He scored a total of 478 points, grabbed 223 rebounds and handed out 120 assists, but his value to the Tar Heels went far beyond those things found on the stat sheet. He was the recipient of the Rick Sharp Award, given to the player who contributed the most in practice and behind the scenes, in 1993-94. He was given the Butch Bennett Award as a freshman for determination, sportsmanship and sacrifice for the good of the team. As a senior in 1994-95, he was a team captain and recipient of the Foy Roberson Award, which is given to the Most Inspirational Player. A 77.4 percent free throw shooter for his career, Sullivan hit the front end of a key one-and-one with 20 seconds to play in the 1993 NCAA championship game. He had three points, a rebound and an assist in that championship game. He also played a valuable role in the Tar Heels' NCAA Tournament second round win over Iowa State in 1995. He entered that contest late in the first half with UNC trailing by 14 points and scored six quick points to lead the Tar Heel comeback. He finished the game against Iowa State 4 for 4 from the floor with four rebounds, a block, a steal and an assist. He averaged 4.1 points per game in his career, but had a season-high 6.4 point-per-game average in 1992-93 when he scored 245 points. He shot 51.8 percent from the floor and 78.9 percent from the line that year. As a 6-8, 220-pound small forward, Sullivan netted a career-high 18 points against Old Dominion on Dec. 1, 1992. He averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds over three games in the 1993 ACC Tournament and had nine points in the 1993 NCAA Tournament against Rhode Island. As a sophomore he scored 14 points and added seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and a blocked shot in a win over Colorado. Later that year, he hit a pair of clutch free throws with just 38 seconds left to tie Wake Forest in a game Carolina trailed by 20 points in the second half yet rallied to win by a basket. Coach Smith substituted a first-year Sullivan into the 1991 NCAA East Regional final against Temple with just 8.6 seconds to play. A savvy player, Sullivan was sent into the game, despite being just a freshman, to inbound the ball under the Carolina basket and with UNC holding a 73-72 advantage. Sullivan did get the ball in to King Rice, who was fouled and hit the game-clinching free throws. Sullivan was the head coach at Hale High School in Raleigh in 1995-96. A bachelor, he resides in Chapel Hill. His younger brother, Ryan, was also a member of the UNC basketball team from 1996-97.
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