Pittsburgh, Pa. – Duquesne University head men's basketball coach
Dru Joyce III announced Wednesday that
Julian Sullinger has joined the staff as an assistant coach.
Sullinger joins the Dukes after spending the last seven seasons at Kent State, including the 2023-24 season as associate head coach. During his seven seasons on the sidelines in Kent, Ohio, the Golden Flashes posted an overall record of 142-83 (.631), registering four seasons of at least 20 wins. In Mid-American Conference (MAC) play during the same time span, Kent State notched an 80-48 (.625) mark. The Golden Flashes appeared in three consecutive MAC Championship finals (2022, 2023, 2024), claiming the 2023 crown and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
"We're excited for the addition of Julian Sullinger to our staff," said Joyce III. "Coach Sullinger is an unbelievable talent who will be a head coach someday. For the past seven seasons he has been instrumental in the success of Kent State University, aiding a stellar defense that led to a 2022-2023 MAC championship and a bid to NCAA March Madness. Coach Sullinger will be a huge asset with his recruiting acumen, both locally and nationally. He will also play a role in developing our interior players. Most importantly, Coach Sullinger is a father, a husband and a coach of high character who embodies the values of our program and Duquesne University."
Kent State finished with an overall record of 28-7 (.800) during the 2022-23 season with Sullinger on staff, earning a 93-78 win over Toledo in the final of the MAC Championship to earn its seventh tournament title in program history. That season the Golden Flashes were a perfect 15-0 at home and faced Indiana in Albany, N.Y., in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Championship. Also during Sullinger's time on the coaching staff at Kent State, the Golden Flashes appeared in the 2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) and the 2022 The Basketball Classic.
"I'm incredibly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to build off the legacy of Coach Keith Dambrot and join the staff at Duquesne University," Sullinger said. "I'm committed to Coach Joyce and eager to get to work supporting his vision for the program. I look forward to working with Vice President of Athletics Dave Harper, the rest of the coaching staff and this incredible team of student-athletes to help continue to make Duquesne University proud of the program."
Sullinger, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is a 2010 graduate of Kent State with a Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree. He played four seasons for the Golden Flashes from 2005 to 2009, appearing in 124 career games, including 55 starts. A career 55.9 percent (251-for-449) shooter from the floor, Sullinger helped lead the Golden Flashes to an overall record of 93-42 (.689) during his four seasons with the program, including a ledger of 50-16 (.758) in the MAC. During that stretch Kent State appeared in the NCAA Tournament in both 2006 and 2008 as well as the 2009 CIT. Sullinger served as captain his final two seasons with the Golden Flashes, a span in which Kent State racked up 47 victories, including a 28-7 (.800) mark in 2007-08 en route to a bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to joining the coaching staff at his alma mater, Sullinger spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Tiffin from 2013-17, where he helped in recruiting, scouting and developing post players for the Dragons. He also served as an assistant coach at Northland High School under his father, Satch, after concluding his playing career at Kent State. During his tenure the Vikings compiled an overall mark of 50-2 (.962) and won a regional championship. Sullinger's two brothers, J.J. and Jared, both played collegiately at Ohio State.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Duquesne finished with an overall record of 25-12 (.676), including a mark of 10-8 (.556) in the Atlantic 10. Thanks to four wins in five days in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Barclays Center, the Dukes claimed their first Atlantic 10 Championship and subsequent bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1977. In the first round of the 2024 NCAA Championship, Duquesne earned a 71-67 victory over BYU, picking up its first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1969.
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