After one year at GW and 17 combined seasons of coaching alongside his wife and women’s basketball head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, Bill Sullivan has resigned from his position as associate head coach citing his desire to spend more time with his family, GW Athletics announced Tuesday.

“He’s putting our children first because, in their formative years, he wants to make sure it’s him they come home to,” Rizzotti said in a statement. “It is a huge sacrifice for him to give up not only something he loves, but something he is so great at. It’s noble and brave, and probably one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.”

Sullivan coached on the sidelines with Rizzotti at the University of Hartford for 16 years before the duo made the transition to Foggy Bottom last spring.

At GW, Sullivan helped the Colonials earn their third consecutive Atlantic 10 regular season championship title before bowing out after a heartbreaking loss against Duquesne in the first round of the conference tournament.

As an assistant coach at Hartford, Sullivan was next to Rizzotti as she coached the Hawks to six NCAA Tournament appearances, five conference championships and a 316-200 overall record.

“Seventeen years ago, I decided to hire who would become the best assistant coach I have ever known,” Rizzotti said. “I’m not sure how I will feel the first time I turn around in a game and he’s not there on our bench.”