He guided WCHS boys basketball to its first 20-win season in over a decade.
He won back-to-back district tournament championships.
But perhaps most importantly, he changed the culture of Warren County basketball.
On Wednesday, coach Chris Sullens tendered his resignation, leaving a program he’s directed to 129 wins over the past eight seasons.
“This is not a decision which was easy because I enjoy coaching so much,” said Sullens on Wednesday. “I’ve found running a business and trying to coach a competitive basketball team are two things I’m not able to do. There’s not enough time for both. This past season I found myself doing business work on the way to basketball games and that’s something which is not fair to the business or the basketball program. I think this past season showed me I don’t have the time necessary to keep the program where it needs to be.”
The Pioneers are coming off an 8-16 season that was an aberration from recent history that saw Warren County become a force in the district and Midstate.
Sullens says he will have a team meeting on Thursday, do some inventory and make sure all uniforms are accounted for, and his last day will be May 2.
Sullens enjoyed his best season in terms of postseason success in 2020-21 when the Pioneers advanced to the sectional tournament and lost to Siegel one step from the state tournament. That team featured seniors C.J. Taylor, Dee Spates and Aiden Cummings.
Chance Hobbs and Isaiah Grayson were two of the key playmakers on the 2017-18 Pioneer team that won 23 games.
“I’m glad to say I’m going out on my own terms and didn’t get fired,” said Sullens. “One of my goals coming into this was to not get fired so I’m glad to say I accomplished that. We averaged 16 wins per season and I got the opportunity to coach some great young men. The kids worked extremely hard to make us competitive and build a foundation. I really appreciate all the support Warren County gave us over the years and I truly loved walking into The Dalt every night.”
Sullens came up through the ranks to earn the job as the top basketball coach in Warren County. He got his coach start at Eastside and coached Matt Cotten his first season.
“Eastside had been a 5-6 grade school and it had just expanded to 7-8 grade,” said Sullens. “So I was the 7-8 grade coach that first year which meant I didn’t have any eighth-graders. I started some fourth-graders that year and we didn’t win anything.”
Sullens went from Eastside to WCMS and then spent 12 years at Boyd Christian as a middle school and high school coach before getting the head coaching job at WCHS.
When asked about lasting memories, Sullens said there are many.
“We won a county championship at Eastside my second year there and to be a 20-something and win a county championship, it seemed like the greatest thing since sliced bread,” said Sullens. “Getting our first region win at Walker Valley was a big thing, back-to-back district titles, the substate, and of course the night C.J. Taylor did what he did against East Hamilton.”
Taylor scored 38 points that night and as the East Hamilton coach said after the game, he was hitting shots “from the parking lot.”
In addition to Sullens, assistant coach Adam Wood has also submitted his resignation. Wood says his children are at an age where he wants to be extremely active in their lives and devote time to coaching their ball teams instead of coaching at the high school.
Sullens said Stephen Glenn would make an excellent choice as the next WCHS head coach, but he’s not sure if Glenn will pursue it.
“We did it the right way over the past eight years,” said Sullens. “So anyone on my staff who expresses an interest in the job I will support them 150%.”
