University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Interview: Sullivan's Experience Key For Heels
November 5, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
New recruiting coordinator Pat Sullivan's diverse background an asset on staff.
By Adam Lucas
On a decorated staff with numerous successful Tar Heel players, Pat Sullivan is the only one who knows exactly what it's like to be on the free throw line with a national championship hanging in the balance.
That's where he found himself in 1993. You probably remember Chris Webber. What you might not remember is that just before Webber's infamous non-called travel and called illegal timeout, Sullivan went to the line in a one-point game to attempt a one-and-one.
In his appearance on today's episode of the Carolina Insider podcast, Sullivan recounted those moments, from Jalen Rose's attempted trash talk to the pressure of the free throws.
"It made me more nervous when I looked at the bench and everyone was holding hands," he said. "The confidence dropped a little bit."
He knocked down the front end to give the Tar Heels a two-point lead. He then serenaded a national television audience with "One Shining Moment" during the postgame show, which was fitting for a player who always knew how to have fun during his tenure in Chapel Hill (his interview also includes his power rankings of who would be most likely to call it a night on Franklin Street first among his classmates, which included Derrick Phelps, Brian Reese and Eric Montross).
After his successful Carolina career, which included three Final Four appearances, Sullivan embarked on a coaching career that has allowed him to experience multiple highly successful coaches and provide a unique viewpoint to Hubert Davis' staff. Sullivan's title is recruiting coordinator, but his NBA experience also means he's a valuable resource for the current roster.
"I'm trying to make sure we keep our guys in the moment," Sullivan said on the podcast. "What I've told the guys who have a chance is to enjoy the journey. The NBA tells you when it's time, it's not the other way around. They will come and tell you and knock on the door, and when they say, 'We need X player,' Coach Smith or Coach Williams have always said, 'It's time to go.' So don't put pressure on yourself. Don't worry about scoring X points or rebounds. They know if you can play or not at that level."
Sullivan was at that level for the better part of two decades. But some of his most fun basketball memories came from his time at Carolina. The stories on the podcast include Sullivan's key role in the recruitment of super-recruit Eric Montross, plus the cohesiveness of the championship 1993 squad.
Of course, Sullivan was also teammates with head coach Hubert Davis, and remembers the playing version of Davis as being very similar to the current coaching version. "He could talk junk to you without cursing," Sullivan said on the podcast. "You almost wanted to fight him more since it wasn't curse words. It got under your skin so much."
Sullivan's full interview is available on today's episode of the Carolina Insider podcast, which also includes a preview of the Wake Forest football game, an interview with Joel Berry II, and some insight from this week's basketball practices.
On a decorated staff with numerous successful Tar Heel players, Pat Sullivan is the only one who knows exactly what it's like to be on the free throw line with a national championship hanging in the balance.
That's where he found himself in 1993. You probably remember Chris Webber. What you might not remember is that just before Webber's infamous non-called travel and called illegal timeout, Sullivan went to the line in a one-point game to attempt a one-and-one.
In his appearance on today's episode of the Carolina Insider podcast, Sullivan recounted those moments, from Jalen Rose's attempted trash talk to the pressure of the free throws.
"It made me more nervous when I looked at the bench and everyone was holding hands," he said. "The confidence dropped a little bit."
He knocked down the front end to give the Tar Heels a two-point lead. He then serenaded a national television audience with "One Shining Moment" during the postgame show, which was fitting for a player who always knew how to have fun during his tenure in Chapel Hill (his interview also includes his power rankings of who would be most likely to call it a night on Franklin Street first among his classmates, which included Derrick Phelps, Brian Reese and Eric Montross).
After his successful Carolina career, which included three Final Four appearances, Sullivan embarked on a coaching career that has allowed him to experience multiple highly successful coaches and provide a unique viewpoint to Hubert Davis' staff. Sullivan's title is recruiting coordinator, but his NBA experience also means he's a valuable resource for the current roster.
"I'm trying to make sure we keep our guys in the moment," Sullivan said on the podcast. "What I've told the guys who have a chance is to enjoy the journey. The NBA tells you when it's time, it's not the other way around. They will come and tell you and knock on the door, and when they say, 'We need X player,' Coach Smith or Coach Williams have always said, 'It's time to go.' So don't put pressure on yourself. Don't worry about scoring X points or rebounds. They know if you can play or not at that level."
Sullivan was at that level for the better part of two decades. But some of his most fun basketball memories came from his time at Carolina. The stories on the podcast include Sullivan's key role in the recruitment of super-recruit Eric Montross, plus the cohesiveness of the championship 1993 squad.
Of course, Sullivan was also teammates with head coach Hubert Davis, and remembers the playing version of Davis as being very similar to the current coaching version. "He could talk junk to you without cursing," Sullivan said on the podcast. "You almost wanted to fight him more since it wasn't curse words. It got under your skin so much."
Sullivan's full interview is available on today's episode of the Carolina Insider podcast, which also includes a preview of the Wake Forest football game, an interview with Joel Berry II, and some insight from this week's basketball practices.
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