Now in his fifth season, Derek Sullivan continues to take the Belmont Abbey men's volleyball program to new heights. Under his leadership, the Crusaders have compiled a 68-46 record, capturing back-to-back Conference Carolinas Championships -- and NCAA Tournament berths -- in 2024 and 2025. The 2024 team claimed the program’s first-ever regular season title.
Sullivan has built a culture of excellence both on and off the court. He recruited and coached Belmont Abbey’s first-ever men’s volleyball AVCA All-Americans, Matthew Staskunas and Zach Puentes, guided multiple all-conference athletes, and coached three players who went on to professional careers. During his tenure, the program has produced two Elite 23 award winners and two school valedictorians, Clay Zimmerman and Zach Cramer, while maintaining a team GPA of 3.35 or higher for five consecutive years. His success earned him the 2024 Conference Coach of the Year award and recognition as an AVCA “30 Under 30” honoree.
Sullivan was elevated to the position of head coach on August 27, 2021 after two season as an assistant coach, aiding in practice and game preparations, recruiting and overall administration within the program. During that time, the Crusaders posted a 23-18 record, winning their first-ever Conference Carolinas Tournament and earning an historic NCAA Championship bid. Additionally, the program was named the winner of the Conference Carolina Messick Award for sportsmanship in 2021. He began his collegiate coaching career at William & Mary College with the Division I women’s
volleyball program and also has extensive club and USA Volleyball experience.
As a student-athlete, Sullivan evolved into one of the elite setters in program history. He now ranks second all-time in assists and in assists per set, while his 112 matches and 398 sets played still stand as school records, as do 1,003 assists in a season and 66 assists in a match.
Following his collegiate career, Sullivan played professionally for on season at Tendring Volleyball Club in Colchester, England, helping the club advance to the finals in the NVL Division 1 league. In 2020, he signed to play professionally for the National Volleyball Association (NVA) in the United States, and play for Southern Exposure.
Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from The Abbey (2016) earned a Master’s degree in Organized Crime, Terrorism, and Security from the University of Essex. He currently resides in Charlotte with his wife, Heather Gearhart, who is the head women’s volleyball coach at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.
updated 9/24/2025
