Sullivan, 69, died Dec. 1, 2019, at his Alabama home.

Those close to the coach remember a caring parental figure and role model to his players. Sullivan was head coach from 1992 to 1997.

“People could read him as to what kind of person he was,” said Dan Sharp ’93 MLA, defensive line coach with nearly 30 years in two stints at TCU. “You want somebody that as a parent you like, who is going to help raise your kid and treat them right. They could read that in Coach Sullivan.”

Hall of Famer Tomlinson said Sullivan was a father figure he respected.

He was a role model who “carried himself in the right way, someone that you knew was always going to say the right things and do the right things but also cared about you enough to make sure that you did the right things,” Tomlinson said.

As the running back was deciding among colleges, he was impressed by Sullivan’s 1971 Heisman Trophy and NFL career. “That’s just like confirmation that you can play because … he’s played with some of the best players and he’s played at the highest level,” Tomlinson said. “I knew I was good enough because I was getting recruited by Coach Sullivan.”

Sullivan also knew that football players’ mothers hold a lot of sway. He often called Tomlinson’s mom with updates on her son and his adjustment to college life.

“I think my mom had a better relationship with Coach Sullivan than I did, and that’s saying a lot,” Tomlinson said with a laugh. “That tells you the type of heart that Coach Sullivan had. … He did everything that he promised my mom: He took care of me, he started me on the right track of helping me become a young man.”

Former Athletic Director Frank Windegger ’57 said that with Sullivan’s “coaching abilities, his personality, I knew he would be an excellent recruiter.”

In Sullivan’s 1994 season, TCU shared in the SWC title and went to the Independence Bowl.

After TCU, Sullivan was the offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1999 to 2006. He became head coach at Samford University, where he retired in 2014.