Kent State Men’s Basketball Associate Head Coach Julian Sullinger was announced as an assistant coach at Duquesne University on Wednesday.
Sullinger joins the first staff for new Head Coach and former Akron Zip Dru Joyce. Joyce is taking over for the recently retired Keith Dambrot.
“We’re excited for the addition of Julian Sullinger to our staff,” said Joyce Wednesday in a release. “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.”
Sullinger was an assistant coach in Kent for seven years. He was an outstanding player for the blue and gold from 2005-2009, winning MAC Championships in 2006 and 2008. An undersized post, Sullinger emerged in the 2006-2007 season as a starter. Sullinger was a two-time captain at Kent and finished with a 55.9 career shooting percentage. A left-handed big, Sullinger had good footwork and soft touch around the rim.
As a coach Sullinger was instrumental on the defensive end of the floor and has developed a track record as an elite post player coach for Rob Senderoff. Most importantly his character, class and passion for Kent State was unquestioned. Sullinger was also a huge asset in recruiting as he was so important in the central Ohio area and is considered a star in recruiting. This is a great step for Sullinger and his family, and the Kent State coaching tree continues to grow.
“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 took to Instagram Wednesday to issue a heartfelt statement and announce his next move while thanking everyone affiliated with the program.
Of course the Sullinger name is synonymous with basketball in the state of Ohio with Julian’s father Satch a legendary high school coach and brothers J.J. and Jared with their illustrious playing careers as well. Julian had a chance to coach his nephew Jalen for three seasons before Jalen announced his transfer to Furman earlier this off season.
For Kent State, Jon Fleming seems like an obvious choice to head the defense for Senderoff. Fleming was instrumental in the game planning for the upset victory over Toledo this MAC Tournament and Senderoff publicly shouted him out for it. It is unclear who will work the posts on staff.