Sullivan Aims to Keep Eagan Boys' Basketball Focused Amidst Coaching Drama

boys’ basketball interim head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t have much time to prepare for the 2011-2012 season. Sullivan took over the varsity squad just days before the Wildcats’ first game on Dec. 3 after longtime head coach by the school district for undisclosed reasons.

An internal investigation surrounding Virgin spurred on by a formal complaint is ongoing and district officials have so far declined to comment on the nature of that investigation. Virgin had compiled a 485-316 record as Eagan’s head boys’ basketball coach before being relieved of his duties in November and also has accumulated more than 400 wins as a soccer coach at the high school. Virgin also supervised the school’s driver’s education program and it is unconfirmed at this point from which of those duties, if any, the complaint stems from.

But despite the turmoil, Sullivan - himself a 14-year veteran of the Eagan boys’ basketball program and former JV coach - is determined to keep the focus on basketball.

“The kids are here to play basketball,” Sullivan said shortly after the Wildcats held off a late surge to down St. Michael-Albertville 58-53 on Friday night. “We’re working with high school kids and they want to have some of the best times of their life. Being a part of a varsity team...that’s what we’ve talked to them about and that’s what they’ve focused on.”

Sullivan says the sudden benching of Virgin and the ongoing investigation surrounding the longtime coach has been a challenge, but it hasn’t been the only challenge the 2011-2012 Wildcats have had to deal with so far in their young season.

“It’s been a challenge with the short notice,” said Sullivan. “But we didn’t do anything differently, we didn’t put any different offense in. Probably the biggest challenge has just been getting over that distraction.”

The other challenge according to Sullivan has been overcoming the loss of six seniors from last year. And even though this years’ Wildcat team has eight seniors in the rotation, those players haven’t had a lot of varsity game experience.

“It’s a combination,” said Sullivan. “That (the coaching switch) has been somewhat of a distraction, but we’re not a very experienced team although we have eight seniors. Our game experience isn’t where we want it to be right now.”

After starting the season with two tough losses, the Wildcats appear to have turned a corner and possibly adjusted to Sullivan’s focused approach with three straight wins. But Sullivan isn’t taking all of the credit.

“I think the kids are doing a good job (staying focused) on their own,” he said. “We’re just keeping it to basketball. We can only control the things we can control and right now that’s just basketball. So that’s what happens at practice, and that’s what happens in the game. That’s what’s in our control so that’s what we’re focusing on.”

While Virgin’s future and any possible return to the team remain uncertain, Sullivan says the team’s future will continue to be challenging as they get ready to compete in a tough South Suburban Conference that features three teams ranked in the top ten in the state.

“It’s a tough conference,” said Sullivan. “Right now we’re working on eliminating mistakes and getting better every day in practice. The kids come to practice working hard and that’s all you can ask for.”

Eagan next faces Mounds View on Tuesday.