BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College community is mourning the passing of former Head Football Coach, and Director of Athletics, Gene Sullivan, who passed away on Thursday. Sullivan established a long and impactful legacy at Geneva during his almost 40 years of service at the college.
Coach Sullivan was hired as Geneva's Head Football Coach in 1976, and he was also asked to oversee the athletics department as the Director of Athletics. He served as the Head Football Coach until 1992, and then he served as an assistant in the program until 2013. He had a clear passion for the Lord, and for football, and that was evident to everyone that he came in contact with.
He finished his coaching career at Geneva as the all-time winningest coach in program history, and one of the highlights occurred during the 1987 season when the Golden Tornadoes advanced all the way to the NAIA Semifinals. Sullivan was inducted into the Geneva Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
Beyond success on the field, Sullivan had a desire to impact young people for Christ. He was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and in Athletes in Action during his career. He also taught in the physical education department at Geneva, giving him a chance to have a positive impact on the entire student body, not just his football players.
Geneva's current head coach, Geno DeMarco, played for Sullivan and also served as an assistant under his mentor prior to taking over for Sullivan in 1993 as Geneva's head football coach, and DeMarco has continued the legacy that Sullivan left behind over DeMarco's 30 years as head coach.
"We are saddened by the news of our beloved Coach Gene's passing," says DeMarco. "His commitment to Christ will forever be a witness to every player who has played for him, and his impact on College Hill is now reaching into its sixth decade."
The family will receive visitors this Monday evening, beginning at 4:00 p.m., at the Noll Funeral Home in Beaver. A service will take place on Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church in Beaver, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva has one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).
