Maryland Athletics 2024 Hall of Fame Spotlight: Patrick Mullins

The list of Maryland men’s soccer greats is extensive, as the school’s program has seen unprecedented success since the turn of the century. 

However, Patrick Mullins is near the top of that list. The forward from 2010-13 is one of Maryland’s greatest ever to touch the pitch. Adding to his legacy left behind in College Park, Mullins will be enshrined into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class on Oct. 18. 

“Patrick is made of the greatest stuff on Earth,” head coach Sasho Cirovski, who coached Mullins throughout his time at Maryland, said. “He’s an incredible young man. He was a great teammate. … It’s a great story of somebody who wanted to come here, embraced the challenge, embraced the grind, continued to get better and evolved every day. By the time he left here, he was a legend.”

Mullins finished his collegiate career as a two-time First Team All-American, two-time Soccer America Men's Player of the Year, two-time NCAA All-Tournament team selection and the only Terp in program history to win the MAC Hermann Trophy twice, an annual award given to the best college soccer player. 

After winning ACC Freshman of the Year in 2010, Mullins was off the races as a Terp. He became a three-time ACC Champion and was named Championship MVP in two championship matches. Mullins also became the first Terp in program history to lead his team in goals, assists and points in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013. That 2012 campaign was a particularly great one for Mullins. He was the 2012 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and was honored as a First Team All-ACC selection. The nod was just one of his three All-ACC selections. 

Jake Pace, Mullins's former teammate from 2010-13 and current assistant to Cirovski, was in awe of not only Mullins’ on-field heroics but also his overall presence, which resonated with the entire program. 

“Pat led by example well with his on and off-the-field habits by being a consummate professional,” Pace said. “He demanded a level of respect from his play and kept that standard so that other players raised their level in-game.”

Mullins won two state championships and was the 2008 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year in high school. He was a hard-to-miss prospect, and the left-footed forward first appeared on Cirovski’s radar at a high school prospect camp hosted by Maryland. 

A native of New Orleans, Mullins hoped to prove his worth at the camp but recalls it as an incredibly challenging week. Despite playing through an illness, Cirovski saw Mullins's potential. Still, he challenged Mullins to continue to improve. 

“He challenged me to improve my game, specifically my work rate and defensive side of the ball,” Mullins said. “That was something that I took to heart.”

Attending the camp gave Mullins his first glimpse of Maryland’s renowned soccer program. His interaction with Cirovski also left an impression on him as a young, upcoming soccer player. 

“I got to work with some of the staff who were members of the team at that time, and got kind of a first glimpse of what it was like to be around the Maryland men’s soccer program,” Mullins said. “I got very sick during the camp, but I enjoyed every second of the time on the field and the interactions with the team.”

Mullins returned to College Park the following year for another camp. This time, the future Terp returned healthy with the improvements Cirovski sought. From that point, the decision was a no-brainer. The phone call Mullins had dreamed of his entire life became a reality.

“To get the call from Sash to let me know the news, I didn’t quite know how to put it into words,” Mullins said.

From there, a star was born. Across four seasons, Mullins left a legacy of sheer greatness that few can match in the history of collegiate soccer, let alone Maryland soccer. 

Mullins finished his career at Maryland, placing second in program history in points (119) and goals (47) and sixth in assists (25). Maryland men’s soccer saw tremendous success as a program. The team accumulated a 70-12-12 overall while going 23-5-7 in the ACC from 2010-13. 

Maryland also reached the NCAA Tournament in all four years of Mullins’ collegiate career, reaching the College Cup twice and the College Cup Finals once in 2013. In that finals match, the Terps were ultimately bested by Notre Dame, 2-1. However, it was Mullins who scored the lone goal for the Terps.

Complimenting Mullins’ illustrious career were relationships formed that extended beyond the field of play. One in particular was with his teammate all four years, Gordon Murie. He fondly remembers sharing the pitch with Mullins and says he was in awe of his ability.

“Patty’s greatest ability on the field was putting that left foot to use,” Murie said. “He had the ability to turn a game on its head in a matter of seconds, and for that, he was so valuable.”

Murie, a New Zealand international player, also mentioned how welcoming Mullins was to him and his family.

“His Mom, Dad and Grandma would come over from Louisiana for games, and we would all head out to dinner afterward,” he said. “They took me in as an international student, new to the country, and took me so I could go and get everything I needed for the college dorm I was living in. I am forever grateful to them and loved when we could all spend time together.”

But Mullins is proudest of the program's overarching theme of family, which goes beyond just his teammates. 

“To speak to the program and that kind of lasting bond between players, there were players I didn’t play with but have begun to know throughout the years,” Mullins said. “I think just that way of each of us as Maryland players, always having each other's backs, always there to support each other and to stay in contact, it's something that I really cherish.”

Mullins was also a standout student in the classroom. Along with his countless athletic accolades, he was a four-time ACC All-Academic selection. He graduated from Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Communication and American Studies. 

The Maryland great was selected 11th overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. He played eight successful seasons in the MLS for the New England Revolution, New York City FC, DC United, Columbus Crew and Toronto FC. With DC United in a 2017 game against the San Jose Earthquakes, Mullins became the first player in MLS history to score four goals in a single half.

Mullins is currently a soccer Senior Analyst in Scouting Operations for Attain Sports and Entertainment. Attain Sports owns the United Soccer League (USL) club Loudoun United FC. He also recently transitioned to the broadcast booth, making his Big Ten Network debut as an analyst for the Maryland men’s soccer matchup against Virginia on Sept. 2. 

The soccer great returned to Ludwig Field that night — the place where he broke records and left behind a lasting legacy. Pace described Mullins as someone always ready for the moment.

“Pat was a player who on the field always found a way to impact the game in crucial moments and scored big goals in big games,” Pace said. “His legacy should be remembered as someone who wanted the ball in pressure stations and executed.”