Mike Sullivan led the Pittsburgh Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.
Sullivan took over as Pittsburgh’s head coach on December 12, 2015, replacing Mike Johnston during the 2015–16 season. The Penguins responded by winning the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks, giving Sullivan a championship in his first full postseason with the club.
Pittsburgh repeated in 2017, defeating the Nashville Predators in six games. The victory made the Penguins the first team since the 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Sullivan also became the first American-born head coach to win multiple Stanley Cups.
A common mix-up is confusing Sullivan with Dan Bylsma, who coached Pittsburgh’s previous championship team in 2009, or with Peter Laviolette, who coached Nashville in the 2017 Final. Sullivan’s achievement was especially notable because he became only the sixth NHL head coach to win the Cup after taking over during a season.