Mike Sullivan life and biography

Mike Sullivan is in his first season as the Giants' quarterbacks coach after spending the previous six years coaching the team's wide receivers.

In 2009, the receivers under Sullivan's were one of the most productive units on the Giants. Steve Smith shattered the franchise record with 107 catches and was the first Giants wideout to play in the Pro Bowl in 41 years. Smith's receptions accounted for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns. Mario Manningham contributed 57 catches and Hakeem Nicks had 47 and six scores in an exceptional rookie season. The Giants' wide receivers totaled 236 catches last year.

In 2008, Smith led the Giants with 57 receptions. Domenik Hixon, who had one career reception entering the season, had a team-high 596 receiving yards on 43 catches. Amani Toomer was second on the team with 48 receptions in his final Giants season. Toomer holds the franchise career records for catches (668), receiving yards (9,497), touchdown catches (54) and 100-yard games (22). In four seasons under Sullivan's tutelage, Plaxico Burress had 344 catches, which place him 12th on the franchise's career list, one catch ahead of Earnest Gray and three behind Aaron Thomas. Burress had 3,681 receiving yards and caught 33 touchdown passes for the Giants.

Burress caught 10 touchdown passes in 2006 and 12 the following year to become the first Giant since Del Shofner in 1961-62 to post back-to-back seasons with 10 or more scoring catches. He set a Giants postseason record with 11 receptions in the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay, one more than Ike Hilliard had in the 2000 Championship Game victory over Minnesota.

David Tyree, another of Sullivan's players, made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history when he improbably secured an Eli Manning pass against his helmet for a 32-yard gain on the Giants' game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLII.

Sullivan was the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive assistant in 2003 after spending the previous season as Jacksonville's defensive quality control coach under Tom Coughlin. He was the only member of Coughlin's coaching staff retained by the Jaguars in 2003.

Sullivan joined the Jaguars after nine years coaching in college football. He began his coaching career at Humboldt State in 1993. He also coached at Army (1995-96 and 1999-2000), Youngstown State (1997-98) and Ohio University (2001). In 1997, Youngstown State won the Division 1-AA national championship under Jim Tressel, now the coach at Ohio State. At Ohio University, Sullivan coached the defensive backs and tutored the kick blocking units on the special teams.

Sullivan was a defensive back at Army, where he received a B.S. degree in 1989. He also has a master's degree from Humboldt State. Sullivan is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, Ranger and Air Assault schools.

Sullivan and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, Carmen Enriqueta and Hope Carolyn. Sullivan was born in Santa Maria, Calif.

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