Mizzou 2024 in Review: Coach of the Year

Across all of the University of Missouri's sports teams, which head coach made the biggest impact in 2024?

Sep 26, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Missouri Tigers logo on the retaining wall before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Three Missouri athletics teams entered the 2024 calendar year with some of the highest expectations for the program in years.

But, the men's basketball squad will end the calendar year without a single SEC play. The reigning Cotton Bowl-winning football team finished 9-3 after having realistic preseason hopes to be selected for the College Football Playoff.

Dawn Sullivan's volleyball team, however, lived up to, and arguably exceeded, expectations set for them after the 2023 season.

In her second year with the program, Sullivan led the Tigers to a 22-9 record, a four-win improvement from 2023. It was Missouri's best record since the 2019 season and saw the first Sweet 16 appearance for the program since 2017.

In the two seasons before hiring Sullivan, Missouri finished with a combined record of 15-45, including a 4-20 record in the Southeastern Conference. In her first two years, Sullivan has compiled a 40-22 record, along with a 20-14 SEC record.

Just the beginning for Dawn Sullivan at @MizzouAthletics‼️#MIZ 🐯🏐 | @Dawn3Sullivan pic.twitter.com/FYgP6me3qe

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 26, 2023

Even after a momentum-building 2023, Missouri was predicted to finish sixth in the conference in the SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. But Sullivan's exceeded those expectations, finishing fourth.

The growth Sullivan has built is an important part of the steps the athletics program is taking.

College volleyball has a increasingly growing audience, with the recent NCAA Tournament seeing a 4% year-to-year increase. In a match against Florida this past season, Missouri brought in 6,379 fans the Hearnes Center, making it the fourth-highest attended match in program history.

"Mizzou is something to be reckon with," Sullivan said after a loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16. "We are on the map, and this is a place you want to compete for championships."

This story is the second in a story of series reviewing the 2024 calendar year for Missouri athletics.

Athlete of the Year