Rutgers Basketball hires Saint Joseph's Rob Sullivan as General Manager
Rutgers Men’s and Women’s Basketball has added a key member of the staff with the regular season less than a week away.
The Scarlet Knights have added Saint Joseph’s (Pa.)’s Rob Sullivan as the General Manager for both programs, according to reports. NJ Advance Media’s Brian Fonseca was the first to report the news.
Sullivan’s background
A graduate of the Hawks in 2006, Sullivan had spent the previous six seasons at Hawk Hill, working various roles in the athletic department.
Sullivan was promoted to become Saint Joseph’s General Manager in August of 2023, and had worked in that position for the last two years. Previously, he had worked as the Hawks’ Chief of Staff.
“We are happy to announce the expanded role of Rob Sullivan,” former head coach Billy Lange said in a release at the time. “The landscape of college basketball has had many shifts over the last few years and it takes a dedicated and focused position to help lead our program through these changes,” said Lange. “Rob has great passion for Hawk Hill and has the respect of former players and coaches due to his time competing for the Crimson and Gray. His keen basketball business sense provides insights and connections that are necessary to elevate the program. Jill deserves a lot of credit for her vision on how to expand the reach of the program through Rob’s position and I am grateful for her support.”
Sullivan also spent ten years as St. Joseph’s Director of Basketball Operations from 2007-17 after graduating from the school. In between stints with the program, he also worked with Cornerstone Management for three years, responsible for recruiting, advising, sports marketing, basketball skill development, and overseeing the off-season training programs for Cornerstone’s clients, as part of its basketball division.
The Philadelphia native’s roots go all the way back within the Hawks’ program, as he played guard for former head coach Phil Martelli from 2003-06, appearing in 23 career games. He was a member of the 2003-04 Elite Eight team, featuring future NBA stalwarts Jameer Nelson and Delonte West.
What does he bring to Rutgers?
As the General Manager, Sullivan will work with both the Rutgers Men’s and Women’s Basketball programs. At the time of the job posting in September, the university described some key duties for the position:
- Serves as a strategic and operational partner, providing high-level administrative and strategic support across multiple program areas.
- Manages all aspects of the recruiting process, serving as the primary point of contact for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities within NCAA guidelines, and creating innovative recruiting communications through social media, print, and video platforms.
- Supports recruiting, NIL/brand management, program development, and stakeholder engagement, combining competitive intelligence, athlete brand building, donor cultivation, community relations, and partnership management to sustain Rutgers’ standing as a premier basketball program on and off the court.
- Acts as a liaison with NIL collectives, oversee transfer portal evaluations, and maintains relationships with recruits, current student-athletes, alumni, and professional players.
- Manages player programs, supporting program fundraising efforts, and strengthens relationships with donors, alumni, and community stakeholders.
Saint Joseph’s described Sullivan’s role as follows:
“As general manager, Sullivan’s responsibilities focus on strategic and effective leadership directly related to the success of the men’s basketball program. Included in those duties, Sullivan helps develops and implement major strategic initiatives that help ensure the success of men’s basketball at Saint Joseph’s, including Name Image and Likeness, donor and former student-athlete engagement, game scheduling, and branding. Additionally, he assists Saint Joseph’s Vice President and Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner as the sport administrator for men’s basketball.”
Both Pikiell and Washington now have a General Manager ahead of the season kicking off.
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