Published Jan 9, 2019
BREAKING: Jerry Sullivan retires
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Sam Spiegelman  •  Death Valley Insider
Senior Writer
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@samspiegs

One spot has opened up on the LSU coaching staff.

Passing game coordinator Jerry Sullivan announced his retirement from football on Wednesday night, the university announced.

Sullivan, 74, spent seven years on the LSU coaching staff from 1984-90, joined Ed Orgeron’s staff as a consultant in 2017 and was then elevated to senior offensive assistant and passing game coordinator for the 2018 season.

Sullivan spent 25 years in the NFL before coming back to LSU in 2017.

“Jerry had a great career, one that saw him develop, groom, mentor and train some of the best to ever play the wide receiver position at any level of football,” Orgeron said. “I can’t thank Jerry enough for the contributions he made to our program over the past two years.”

Sullivan helped primarily with the wide receivers at LSU, leading to a breakout campaign for sophomore Justin Jefferson, who led the team with 54 grabs for 875 yards and six touchdowns. Ten different LSU receivers had 10 or more receptions this season, including freshmen Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall Jr., and five different receivers had multiple receiving scores.

Under Sullivan’s watch, the Tigers ranked No. 67 in FBS in passing offense, averaging 228.5 yards per game. That mark was good for seven in the SEC.