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09/02/2021 12:00 AMKevin Sullivan’s busy schedule just got a lot busier. Kevin, a Plainville resident who works as a physical therapist at Waterbury Hospital, is ready to take on a new challenge as he begins his first season as head coach of the Morgan football team this fall.
Originally from Waterbury, Kevin grew up with a love for football and ultimately played defensive back at King’s College in Pennsylvania. Kevin went on to serve as the offensive coordinator at Newington High School for five years before making the leap to a head coach’s role with Morgan.
“I love the game. I started coaching youth already when I was in high school, and the coaching bug just kind of stuck with me,” says Kevin. “I eventually got my coaching certification through the CIAC, and it’s been a long goal of mine to become a head coach of a team.”
A typical day in the life of Morgan’s new coach begins with him waking up at 5:30 a.m. Kevin gets to the hospital around 7 a.m. and then finishes up at 2 p.m. After work, Kevin makes the hour-long drive to Clinton for the Huskies’ practice.
While the schedule is hectic, Kevin wouldn’t trade it for the world as he begins this new chapter in his life.
“Luckily, I have a great boss at the hospital. During football season, I go in a little bit earlier and get to leave right around 2 o’clock every day,” Kevin says. “The drive from Waterbury down to Clinton can be difficult at times, but I like having that time in the car to decompress during a long day.”
Kevin ran a spread offense at Newington and is implementing that formation at Morgan this year. Kevin believes that his players will be able to perform better when given space to operate on the field.
“We’re definitely going to be a spread team this year. I like to get our guys in space,” says Kevin. “You have to be able to run and throw the ball in this league we’re in now. We try to create mismatches with the defense and take what they’re going to give us.”
Morgan didn’t get to play football in its traditional 11-on-11 tackle format last year after the 2020 season was canceled by the CIAC. In his first year at the helm, Kevin is expecting the Huskies to improve upon their performance from two years ago, when they finished with a record of 1-9.
“That’s the main thing we want to do here is get better. We have a lot of guys who are eager to compete in full-contact games here after missing out on that last season,” Kevin says. “We want to establish a winning culture here, and it’s great, because this is a blank slate. We can write our own history this season.”
Morgan is returning several seniors this year, including captain Drew Nye, who is the team’s quarterback. Wide receiver Alex Fratamico, wide receiver/linebacker Garret Garbinski, and center/linebacker Jordan Armstrong are the other senior captains for the Huskies
“We were finally able to scrimmage the other day, and I saw a lot of positive things. Drew started some games as a sophomore, and it’s good that we have a lot of seniors that played varsity a couple years ago,” Kevin says. “I think a lot of teams are in the same boat with COVID wiping out all of last year. I am excited to see where we can go as a team this year.”
Kevin will serve as Morgan’s primary play caller on offense during his first season at Morgan. As the Huskies gear up to hit the gridiron, Kevin is looking forward to working with John Bozzi, who is the team’s new defensive coordinator.
“I’m excited that John is with me on the staff,” says Kevin. “We are both ready for this season to get started, and our expectations are high.”