Ryan Sullivan is in his ninth season as a member of the University of Tampa men's lacrosse coaching staff. Sullivan spent his first seven seasons as the recruiting director and defensive coordinator before being promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2023. 

In 2024 (18-2, 7-0 SSC), Coach Sullivan helped lead Tampa to its eight Sunshine State Conference league title and eighth tournament championship. Coach Sullivan guided his defense to be the 8th-ranked scoring defense in Division II, averaging 8.9 goals against per game. Sullivan coached Matthew Beddow to USILA First Team All-American honors, Jackson Day to USILA Second Team All-American honors, and Conley Stone to USILA All-America Honorable Mention in 2024. Beddow, Day, and Stone also garnered USILA All-South Region accolades and Beddow became the first player to be named the SSC Defensive Player of the Year. 

Since taking over the defensive responsibilities in 2020, Tampa is 70-7. In 2022 Sullivan helped the University of Tampa to its first-ever National Championship title.  

The Spartans defense ranked ninth in scoring defense in 2023, allowing 8.88 goals per game. Coach Sullivan mentored four Spartans to USILA All-American honors in 2023 in Matthew Beddow (First Team), goaltender Blake Ulmer (Second Team), Trejan Cannon (Third Team), and Jackson Day (Honorable Mention). Tampa led the Sunshine State Conference in scoring defense, saves per game, and save percentage that season.

In 2022 Coach Sullivan coached the LSM of the Year in Sean Nizolek, the Goaltender of the Year in Blake Ulmer, and the Defensive Player of the Year and Division II Most Outstanding Player in Matthew Beddow. Coach Sullivan also coached Owen Matukas to First Team All-American honors and Christian Borodiak to Third Team All-American honors. In 2022, Sullivan’s defense ranked 7th in Division II, giving up just 8.7 goals per game.

Recognized as the 2022 USILA National Assistant Coach of the Year, Sullivan led a unit that ranked in the NCAA national top 10 in scoring defense, man-down defense, saves, and scoring margin. The Spartans were first in the nation in saves, and second in man-down defense. He also served as the recruiting director for the program's first national championship team.

In 2021 (10-1), Coach Sullivan led his defense to 7th in Division II in scoring defense, giving up 7.82 goals per game. 

In the fall of 2019, Sullivan took over defensive coordinator responsibilities. In the Spring of 2020 in a Covid-shortened season (8-0) Sullivan’s defense was ranked 3rd in scoring defense in Division II. 

Sullivan comes to the University of Tampa after serving as defensive coordinator at Ohio Wesleyan for the 2016 season and Mercyhurst University for the 2015 season.  

Under Sullivan's guidance while at Ohio Wesleyan, the Battling Bishops ranked 7th in Division III giving up 6.65 goals per game. 

While leading the defense at Mercyhurst, the Lakers ranked second in NCAA Division II in scoring defense, allowing an average of 7.1 goals per game, in 2015. 
 
Sullivan is a 2014 graduate of Mercyhurst, where he played lacrosse for four years. During his career, the Lakers won one national championship, reached the national championship game twice, advanced to the national semifinals three times, and were in the national quarterfinals all four years.  He was a 2-time all-conference selection, served as team captain, and played on 2 conference championship teams. 
 
Sullivan is a native of Pittsford, N.Y.