Cory Sullivan is entering his second season as Defensive Coordinator for the Norsemen. Additionally, Sullivan will serve as IncomingRecruiting Coordinator, Academic Coordinator, and will coach the Defensive Secondary.
Sullivan’s first season directing the Golden Norsemen defense produced one of the most daunting defenses across NJCAA football. The NEO defense surrendered a SWJCFC best 23.1 points per game and 224.4 yards per game in league play. The Spring season saw two NEO defenders tabbed to the All-American lists. Damien Lowery and Kobe Hylton each received All-American honors. Damien Lowery was also named Defensive Player of the Year for the SWJCFC for his efforts in the Spring slate. Four additional Norsemen received post season All-SWJCFC honors (Daniel Howard – 1st Team, Trae Thompson – 2nd Team, Austin Carter – HM, and Coby Tillman – HM).
Prior to arriving at NEO, Sullivan served as assistant coach and Special Teams Coordinator for six years at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The 2019 season proved successful for the linebackers and special team’s units for the Rangers. The Rangers finished the 2019 campaign atop the country in division two in blocked kicks. Sullivan mentored the Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in Maurice Wright. Wright led the GAC in tackles per game and was also named to three different publication’s All-American teams.
In 2018, the ranger defense saw vast improvements across all statistical categories. Among those statistical improvements was rushing defense which improved from 232 yards per game in 2017 to 162.3 yards per game in 2018. Yards per carry by Ranger opponents fell to 3.8 from 5.1 in 2017. The Ranger defense also improved from 48% on opponent third down conversions to 32.3% in 2018 good for fourth in the Great American Conference. 2018 saw two Ranger linebackers named to Great American Conference teams. 1st team GAC linebacker Maurice Wright finished the season with 114 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss. Honorable Mention GAC performer Dakota Driskill registered 120 total tackles and finished atop the conference in solo stops with 62. Driskill also tallied 12.5 tackles for loss and an interception for a touchdown against Southwestern Oklahoma State. 2018 was a year of continued improvement from Ranger specialists. Horatio Smith was named 1st team kick returner after returning both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns. The NWOSU punt return and kick return finished atop the league rankings in average return yardage.
The 2017 campaign provided three all-conference performers from the linebacker position. Maurice Wright was named first team GAC and finished the 2017 season ranked first in tackles per game at 13 per game. Wright also added 14 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Devin Peyton tallied 61 tackles in just six games, good enough for second team GAC. The third member of the all-conference teams was Sophomore Dakota Driskill. Driskill totaled 97 tackles and 5 tackles for loss in his sophomore campaign. Northwestern punters averaged 40.41 yards per punt including 10 inside the twenty-yard line and 11 over fifty yards. Returner DaShawn Gordon averaged 9.8 yards per return in 2017.
The 2016 Ranger special team units proved again to be high points for the Rangers. The 2016 season featured a kickoff return for a touchdown and a game winning field goal against Arkansas-Monticello and several forced turnovers. Punt Returner Dashawn Gordon finished the season as the top punt returner in the GAC with an average of 8.1 yards per return. Linebacker Devin Peyton finished sixth in the conference in tackles per game (8.4) despite having his season cut short due to injury.
In his first season at Northwestern Oklahoma State the Rangers saw marked improvement in special teams as nearly every unit improved in national rankings, including a top 15 nationally ranked punt unit led by all-conference performer Will Hawkins (41.5 yards per punt). Additionally, Sullivan coached All-GAC corner Jordan Norris who led the conference in interceptions and finished in the top 10 nationally in that category.
Sullivan spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons at Emporia State where he was a Defensive Graduate Assistant working with defensive line in 2013 and linebackers for the 2014 season. In addition to his coaching duties, he also was the coordinator for video, social media, and football graphic design.
Before his stop in Emporia, Kan., Sullivan spent the 2012 season as running backs coach at Missouri S&T. Sullivan coached Curterris Golden who had 1,029 all-purpose yards and 4.9 yards per carry with a single season school record 14 rushing touchdowns. He was responsible for weekly opponent breakdown and the Miner punt unit. In 2012, the Miners set school records for wins in a season with (10) and points per game (41.6).
Prior to Missouri S&T, Sullivan worked as a student assistant coach at Ohio University with the Bobcats’ wide receivers, running backs and special teams. He was also responsible for film breakdown, scout teams and charting opponent tendencies on game day. He spent four seasons on the Ohio staff working as a student assistant. During his time at Ohio, the Bobcats appeared in three bowl games – the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Sullivan is a 2012 graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Sport Sciences and a 2015 graduate of Emporia State with a Master’s of Science in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. Sullivan is from Springfield, Ohio. Cory and wife Tamra, reside in Miami, Oklahoma with their one year old son, Baylor, and Siberian retriever, Groot.
