Derek Sullivan is in his second season as head coach of the Belmont Abbey men's volleyball team, having been elevated from assistant coach on August 27, 2021.
"I am pleased to announce the hire of one of our own,Â
Derek Sullivan, to lead our Men's Volleyball program moving forward," Vice President and Director of AthleticsÂ
Stephen Miss said at his hiring. "As an alumnus of Belmont Abbey College, a member of our inaugural class of men's volleyball students, and a member of our coaching staff the past two seasons, Coach Sullivan is well-suited to form and develop our students holistically and is uniquely positioned to maintain continuity, building upon the program's strong foundation and last year's unprecedented success."
A 2016 Belmont Abbey graduate, Sullivan returned to his alma mater in 2020 as assistant coach, aiding in practice and game preparations, recruiting and overall administration within the program. During his two seasons in the role, the Crusaders posted a 23-18 record, winning their first-ever Conference Carolinas Tournament and earning an historic NCAA Championship bid. Additional, the program was named the winner of the Conference Carolina Messick Award for sportsmanship in 2021.
Sullivan was instrumental in the development of 2021Â
Brennan Davis, who broke Sullivan's school records for career assists and career assists per set. Davis earned first-team all-conference honors and was named Most Valuable Player in the 2021 conference tournament.
A veteran of club coaching experience at the regional and national levels, Sullivan serves as co-head coach of the Carolina Union Volleyball Club's Boys Program and has worked with both the USAV High Performance group and the K2 Volleyball Club. He also served as a volunteer assistant at William & Mary during the 2019-20 season, preparing scouting reports, coding stats on DataVolley, and mentoring the setters and liberos.
At Belmont Abbey, 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.Â
"I am very grateful to Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., President Thierfelder, andÂ
Stephen Miss for allowing me to coach such great young men and be a part of this blessed community," Sullivan said. "I also want to thank God and my family for supporting me through this process. I believe God is at work on this campus, and I can't wait to continue what this program has started."
Sullivan holds a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice (psychology minor) from The Abbey, adding a master's degree in organized crime, terrorism and security from the University of Essex (UK) in 2017. He resides in Charlotte with his wife, Heather Gearhart, an assistant women's volleyball coach at Winthrop.
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| Came to Belmont Abbey |
| January, 2020 |
| Previous Experience |
| 2020 - present |
Belmont Abbey -- Assistant Coach |
| 2020 - present |
Carolina Union Volleyball Club -- Co-Head Coach of the Boys Program |
| 2019 - 20 |
William & Mary -- Volunteer Assistant Coach |
| 2019 - 20 |
USAV High-Performance -- Camp Coach (Girls A3 and Boys A3) |
| 2018 - 19 |
K2 Volleyball Club -- Head Coach |
| 2017 - 18 |
Tendring Volleyball Club, Colchester, UK |
| 2015 - 17 |
Carolina Union Volleyball Club -- Assistant Coach, Charlotte, NC |
| 2014 - 2017 |
Summer Camp Instructor (N.C. State, North Carolina, Appalachian State and Tennessee) |
| Education |
|
Masters in Organized Crime, Terrorism, and Security -- University of Essex, UK, 2017
B.A. in Criminal Justice -- Belmont Abbey College, 2016 |
