Coming to Attention : Sullivan and Fremont, No. 1 in State, Finally Get Long-Deserved Recognition

One school of thought has it that Sam Sullivan, the Fremont High boys’ basketball coach, has not received much recognition because he resides in the inner-city, where many coaches work in anonymity.

Unless you win four State and 11 City titles, as Crenshaw’s Willie West has done, gaining notice as a City coach is difficult. Year after year, City teams are regarded as among the best in nation, but its players and coaches have to struggle for regular attention.

It is a problem Sullivan has had to face for most of his life. From his days as a starting forward for the Pathfinders in the late 1960s to his last 15 years as Fremont’s coach, Sullivan has had a love affair with a school in the heart of an area devoid of media attention.

Fremont, located on San Pedro Street between Florence and Manchester boulevards, has a history of athletic success. But its tradition is forgotten because of its lack of coverage.

Only in the last three years has Sullivan been able to break Fremont from the ranks by winning at a remarkable pace. In their last 91 games, the Pathfinders have an 83-8 record and back-to-back appearances in the City 3-A Division championship game. This run has seen Fremont win a City title in 1989 and become a strong favorite to win again in March.

This season, Fremont is The Times’ top-ranked City team with a 28-1 record going into Wednesday’s quarterfinal playoff game against Venice. The Pathfinders are also the top-rated team in the state according to the Cal-Hi magazine coaches’ poll and ranked 10th in the nation by USA Today.

For Sullivan, 40, the recent attention is a reward for years of hard work. For 14 seasons, Sullivan’s trademark has been his 12- to 14-hour work days. It’s a practice that has also become a characteristic of his teams, who are known for playing all 32 minutes with pressure defense and hustle.

“When you play Fremont, they will pressure you for the entire 84 feet of the court,” Manual Arts Coach Randolph Simpson said. “Fremont has always had good athletes, but now they just have more and Sam does a good job of keeping them in the area.”

Sullivan got his work ethic from his parents, who still live a few blocks from Fremont. His father, Louis, worked for the Department of Water and Power, while his mother, Eula, worked part-time while raising Sam and his four younger sisters.

As a youth, Sullivan, whose given first name is Harriel, used to sneak into the school’s gym and watch the basketball team practice. When he was in eighth grade, Sullivan realized that his future was in basketball.

“I was a very good defensive player who thought that all-out hustle was what you were supposed to do,” Sullivan said. “I was about 6-2 when I got to high school, and basketball was my game.”

When Sullivan arrived at Fremont in 1966, the Pathfinders were one of the best teams in the City. From 1959 to 1967, Fremont won five City titles, including a championship in 1967, Sullivan’s sophomore year.

Sullivan did not begin to develop as a player until his senior year, when he first made the varsity. Though he was not considered a star, Sullivan decided to continue with his basketball career at East Los Angeles College.

After two seasons as captain at the junior college level, Sullivan temporarily gave up the sport.

“I was not really prepared for college, so when I decided not to go on, I had to work and give up basketball because my parents had a simple rule living in their house,” Sullivan said. “You either worked or you went to school. So, I worked.

“It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me because I found out that I’d rather be in school than work full time.”

After a year working at a tool shop, Sullivan joined a former East Los Angeles teammate at Eastern Montana College in Billings.

Sullivan adjusted well to Montana. As a 6-4 shooting guard, he became a team leader as a senior.

“I really wanted to go professional after I graduated,” said Sullivan, who finished with a degree in physical education and a minor in speech communication. “But I was a ‘tweener.’ A player who was not big enough to be a forward and not agile enough to be a guard.”

After his senior season, Sullivan’s dream of a pro career ended when he was unable to land a tryout with any NBA team.

“It’s the only regret that I have,” he said. “That I never had a chance to show that I could hold my own with guys coming out during that time.”

Sullivan returned to Los Angeles after spending a year looking for work in Montana. He began substitute teaching until he was hired full time to teach at Fremont in the fall of 1975.

Sullivan was a volunteer junior varsity coach his first year before taking over as Fremont’s head coach for the 1976-77 season. At 26, he was one of the youngest coaches in the state.

“When I first was named coach, I was so excited, I would have coached for free,” Sullivan said. “Every morning I would wake up and couldn’t wait to get to Fremont High School and coach.”

With a philosophy that no one is bigger than the team, including the coach, Sullivan had immediate success, leading Fremont into the City semifinals his first season. His teams have compiled a record of 230-98.

Dedication to his players is also a Sullivan trademark. Among the players he has sent to college are some who went on to play professionally in other sports, including Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds and David Fulcher of the Cincinnati Bengals.

When Sullivan first began coaching at Fremont, he did not get much respect among City coaches because of his age. He earned it by the time the Pathfinders defeated Los Angeles High for the 1989 City title.

A major factor in the new Sullivan has been his wife, Mona, whom he married five years ago, and 1-year-old daughter, Tiffany.

“When we first met, he was really intense about basketball,” Mona Sullivan said. “Now, he doesn’t take it to heart as much. He still puts in long hours, but you can see a change in him.”

One thing Sullivan has tried to do is to change the negative stereotype applied to Fremont and other inner-city schools.

“Whether it is right or wrong, this area has a negative image,” Sullivan said. “I’m not saying that we’re perfect, but there are a lot of good people here.”

After years of working without much fanfare, Sullivan is getting more acclaim because of the recent success of Fremont’s program. However, to the people in the Fremont community, it’s attention that is long overdue.