Jennifer Sullivan officially stepped down as women’s basketball head coach at Florida Florida Atlantic University on March 25, according to an announcement made by FAU athletics. 

The Owls assistant coach Jessica Jackson has been named FAU’s interim head coach while the athletics department conducts a national search for Sullivan’s replacement. 

Sullivan has decided to accept a position as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri, where she will work under Missouri’s head coach, Kellie Harper. 

“I am thrilled to announce the addition of Jennifer to our staff here at Mizzou,” Harper said in Missouri’s press release on March 25. “She will be a valuable asset to our players on the court for games and practices. She is a proven recruiter and is knowledgeable in the state and region. She is a great person who will reflect the winning values of our university.”

Jackson has worked as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since May 2021, leading FAU’s recruiting efforts by locking down five transfers from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), American Athletic Conference (AAC), the Big 12 and Big Ten. Additionally, she has brought in five international student-athletes in her four seasons. 

Sullivan’s decision marks a reunion of the two coaches as she previously worked under Harper’s coaching staff at Missouri State from 2013-18 and Tennessee from 2019-21, making this third time seeing each other. 

At Missouri State, Sullivan worked diligently with their recruiting efforts and had four postseason appearances, one being the National Collegiate Athletics Association. During her time at Tennessee, the team also had postseason success, making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament and a bid to the 2020 NCAA tournament, which was canceled due to COVID-19. 

“I am very thankful to Kellie for giving me this incredible opportunity to rejoin her on the sidelines,” Sullivan said in Missouri’s press release. “Missouri women’s basketball is an elite program, and I am excited to build on their past success and win championships.”

Sullivan’s stint at FAU was her first time being in the position of a head coach. She worked for four seasons, with a total record of 39-83. 

In her first season, the Owls went 5-25, but the following year, they had a 140% increase in wins. That year, Sullivan coached guard Aniya Hubbard, FAU’s first-ever Conference USA Freshman of the year and the first Owl in the program’s history to gather four postseason honors in one year. 

The 2023-24 season was historic because it was the program’s 40th season. It began with a win over the University of Central Florida, which was unbeaten then, and Sullivan was recognized with the Vice President’s Diamond Award. 

The departure ended her contract with FAU a year early. According to her contract, FAU’s Board of Trustees and Sullivan agreed that she would serve as the head coach from April 15, 2021, until April 14, 2026, and paid $220,000 in her first year with a 2.5% annual increase upon that.  

At this time, the university stated they would have no further comments on the search until it came to a close. 

Megan Bruinsma is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories email her at mbruinsma2022@fau.edu or DM her on Instagram @megan_bruinsma or Twitter (X) @MeganBruinsma.