Popular NKY high school basketball coach battles for his job

UNION, Ky. (WXIX) - Coach Tim Sullivan’s wife spoke with FOX19 NOW, saying her husband met with the Cooper High School principal and athletic director on Jan. 21, where they told him to either resign at the end of the season or not have his contract renewed.

Sullivan’s family and dozens of supporters attended tonight’s meeting to show support and express outrage over his possible departure.

A packed Boone County Board of Education meeting Thursday after Cooper High School boys’ basketball coach, Tim Sullivan’s future as a coach is up in the air.

“Just something that shook our family to the core,” Tim’s wife, Andrea Sullivan, said.

According to Andrea, Coach Sullivan met with administrators in January.

They asked him to resign after this season, or his contract wouldn’t be renewed.

“He was also told that he had to keep it out of the public and that was something to me, if he’s going to lose his job, because he is not resigning, so if he’s basically going to be fired, we’re going to fight this,” Andrea said.

Andrea says her husband was told there was no sense of urgency to change the program’s culture.

“And what culture means, I still feel like we’re a little uncertain what he means by that,” Andrea said.

Several former and current players describe the culture of Sullivan’s program as a family environment that cannot be replaced.

“The values and the lessons I’ve learned from him have been astronomical and amazing compared to whatever coach I’ve had before,” former player and now University of North Carolina Football Player, Austin Alexander says.

Alexander says Cooper Basketball is Tim Sullivan.

“To be honest, this is pretty unbelievable because this is a legendary coach that you grow up wanting to play for. People try everything to get into Cooper just to play for Coach Sullivan,” Alexander said. “Then when you’re in the program, you understand the values that are instilled in you.”

Emotions reached a fever pitch during the meeting.

“I didn’t come for conflict, but I came for justice,” Alexander said to the board.

Shouting began as a board member reminded the crowd they could not legally speak on personnel matters.

FOX19 NOW reached out to the district for comment, they said they repeated what the board member told the crowd.

“Sully” t-shirts were also worn at the meeting tonight as they battle for their head coach.

A petition to save Coach Sullivan has already garnered more than 3000 signatures.

This is all unfolding during the Kentucky Boys’ Ninth Region final, Cooper advanced to the final for the third straight year, and the Jaguars are vying for the title.

They will play Lloyd Memorial on Tuesday.

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