When people see him running across town, they do a double take. Not too many adults can say they keep up with high school runners on a daily basis. But in his mid 60’s, Mike Mulrooney does just that and more. Coaching 22 state qualifying teams, four state champions, and five state runner up teams, he has the envied formula for success.

I have always had a passion for challenging myself, and that is one reason why I joined cross country- but Coach Mulrooney took that passion much further. Coach made me realize my limits were set by mental barriers and realize my potential through goal setting. Coach did this by instilling a positive mindset and a written objective, so I had something to strive for. Coach also emphasised how these skills are not only used for running, but also for everyday life. Coach's teachings have not only helped me with my running career, but also with academics.

Coach doesn’t care how talented a student is at running- he just wants to see them improve by working hard. Individually congratulating runners after a good race, Coach genuinely cares about all of his athletes. Meticulously planning workouts, Coach makes sure he is challenging everyone by placing them in the correct workout group.

Coach has a memory like a hard drive (probably because he is a retired math teacher). We have a team of over 60 athletes, and Coach can seem to remember what every runner got on their races and recommends a goal for next time. He can even remember race times from runners he had five years ago. I have yet to met a person more devoted to something than Coach Mulrooney is to the sport of cross country.

Coach Mulrooney not only has a passion for coaching, but he also enjoys helping the community and those in need. Organizing an annual shoe drives for kids in third world countries, Coach makes sure we all get involved. In the past, Coach has organized charity runs to help assist needy families. In addition, he is an active member of the local Kiwanis Club. No matter what Coach is up to, he is always there to assist others.
He doesn’t keep coaching because he has to. He does it because he wants to see his runners succeed. If you ask him when he’ll stop coaching, he won’t give you a straight answer. Not being able to run with our top runners, he preservers and still finds ways to keep up by riding his bike. He has a gift and a passion for coaching, and that is why I nominate Mike Mulrooney for educator of the year.