Growing up in the gym, watching his father coach, Pat Mullen’s passion for basketball was ignited at a young age. The competitive fire that Pat inherited from his father was evident in his play at a young age, and after 25 years, that same trait continues to defi ne his coaching style.
Pat was lucky enough to play basketball for his father, Hall of Fame coach Mike Mullen, at Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington. During Pat’s time there, the Braves twice played in the state basketball tournament and finished in the top-8 during his senior year. That same year, Pat set the SPSL record for assists
in a season, a record that still stands. Following his high school career, Pat played basketball at Tacoma Community College for Hall of Fame coach Ron Billings, before transferring to the University of Puget Sound, and playing for Bob Niehl, to finish his playing career.
Following that, Pat had quick stops at Mt. Tahoma High School and Frontier Junior High School before joining his father’s staff at his alma mater, Bethel High School. After serving as the JV coach for three seasons, Pat took the reins of the Braves program in 1996 and began building his Hall of Fame coaching resume. Beginning in the 1998-99 season, Pat’s Braves reached the 4A state tournament in seven consecutive seasons, culminating in a State Championship in 2005. Pat and his staff (Russ Leslie, Kenny Iverson, Mike Mullen) led the 2005 State Championship team to a record of 28-2 en route to hoisting the tournament trophy. In addition to his State Championship, Bethel teams also earned a runner-up fi nish in 2000 and a third place finish in 2004. In addition to eight state tournament appearances, the Braves reached the post-season in all fifteen of Coach Mullen’s seasons as head coach and he accumulated 265 wins during his tenure at Bethel High School.
After fifteen seasons leading the Bethel Braves, Coach Mullen took over an Emerald Ridge program that had never reached the postseason in its first twelve years of existence. Since taking over, the Jaguars have reached the playoff s in five consecutive seasons, narrowly missing the state tournament in two of those seasons. Serving as the Jaguars head coach has been refreshing for Coach Mullen, having the opportunity of building a winning tradition at a new school and cementing relationships with the athletes and community of Puyallup, where his daughters attend(ed) high school and his wife, Jill Fox-Mullen, teaches and coaches volleyball.
Coach Mullen’s 334 wins (and counting) would not have been possible without his loving family, friends, assistants, and players. The relationships that he has built during his coaching career are invaluable and he relishes his interactions with other coaches, officials, and those that have been at his side during his career. John Ainslie, who coached the girl’s program at Bethel, described Pat as “the most loyal person” that he had ever met; this quality has allowed Pat to become one of the most respected coaches in the area. One former principal and friend, James Hammond, said that Pat is deserving of this recognition, not for his wins and losses, but for the “thousands of lives he has positively influenced and impacted,” during his coaching career. Hammond went on to say that “First and foremost, Pat is a teacher. That’s what makes him a Hall of Famer.” This ability to teach the game of basketball to young players has allowed his teams to be consistently competitive.
In addition to his role as a basketball coach, Pat has also enjoyed coaching track and field at both Bethel and Emerald Ridge and has led several athletes to individual state championships and team league titles. When not coaching, Pat enjoys watching his daughters play volleyball, Jadyn in high school at Emerald Ridge, and Jenna in college at Portland State. Pat’s love of athletics and competition is evident in their passion for sports. Pat is very appreciative of this recognition and is looking forward to plenty more seasons of coaching the sport that has given him so much.
