Villanova soccer history comes full circle with Sullivan brothers event at Soccer Post Wilmington

When Quinn Sullivan and Cavan Sullivan meet and greet fans at Soccer Post Wilmington today, it will be one in a series of opportunities local fans have had to connect with the budding Philadelphia Union stars.

But for Tom Carlin, owner of the new local Soccer Post franchise, there will be a little bit of nostalgia in hosting an event with the grandsons of his former boss and predecessor to his time as head coach at Villanova. Carlin, who retired as men’s soccer head coach last year, served as an associate head coach under Larry Sullivan in 2007 before taking over the following year. Quinn and Cavan’s uncle, Bryan Sullivan, was also on the staff at the time.

“The Philadelphia soccer community is a big family,” Carlin said, recalling when Quinn, Cavan and brothers Ronan and Declan were running around at Villanova games. “To see Cavan and Quinn have the success being from this area and then also being the grandsons of Larry Sullivan, who was the guy that brought me back to this area and provided the opportunity for my first head coaching job, it’s just awesome to see it come full circle.”

Quinn and Cavan will be at the store – located on 1812 Marsh Road in Wilmington – from 3-5 p.m. today. The newest Soccer Post franchise in the area, opening the store has been part of Carlin’s ventures into the business side of soccer he’s been interested in since he started helping his uncle Charlie Duccilli with Rutgers soccer camps. Carlin is also involved in the real estate business and owns C2 Sports Enterprises.

A former PIAA state champion at Holy Ghost Prep, Carlin was a standout three-year captain at Arcadia University and started his coaching career there before joining the Northwestern University staff as an assistant under Tim Lenahan from 2006-2007. He passed Larry Sullivan for the most head coaching wins in 2021 and amassed a career record of 222-156-43, leading the Wildcats to their first two NCAA Tournament appearances.

“I was always intrigued by the business side of soccer,” Carlin said. “So upon retiring, I had the opportunity to be involved in a franchise. I do a lot of camps and a lot of tournaments and events that need gear so it seemed like a good fit.”

Like their other Philadelphia area stores in Berwyn, Huntington Valley and Cherry Hill, N.J., the Soccer Poster in Wilmington, Del. is a family owned small business focused on customer service and the personal touch.

“It’s all about the customer experience and providing great customer service,” said Carlin, a father of four who lives in Wayne, Pa.

For more information on Soccer Post Wilmington, visit www.soccerpostwilmington.com.