Pat Coogan ’21 Returns to Marist to Speak on Leadership and Resilience
Before the NFL Draft, Pat Coogan ’21 made time to come home to Marist.
This past Friday, Marist High School welcomed back Coogan as part of the Leadership, Literature & Film speaker series. He spent time with seniors in the year-long course, sharing insights on leadership, resilience, and the realities behind success at the highest levels of college athletics.
The course, co-taught by Natalie Holder-Vaia and Matt Sinacore, explores leadership across a wide range of contexts and industries. Throughout the academic year, they bring in a variety of impactful guest speakers, giving students the opportunity to learn directly from real-world experiences. Coogan’s visit added a powerful perspective, centered not on accolades, but on the discipline, setbacks, and mindset required to reach them.
Speaking during 8th period in the theater, Coogan addressed the leadership class before opening the conversation to additional students and student-athletes after school. Despite a demanding schedule as he prepares for the NFL Draft, he made time to return to Marist and connect with the next generation.
Coogan’s journey since graduating has been remarkable. He played a key role at the University of Notre Dame, contributing to a National Runner-up season, before transferring to Indiana University, where he helped lead the program to a National Championship and earned Rose Bowl MVP honors. Just as impactful as his athletic success is his commitment to academics and personal growth throughout his college career.
His message to students focused heavily on resilience, particularly in moments when things do not go as planned.
“It certainly took me awhile, and time management is a huge piece of that,” Coogan said on balancing the physical demands of football and the mental demands of high-level academics. “I’m sure you talk to your college counselors here, and the time management piece is going to be everything. And being able to compartmentalize things. When I was at school, I was 100% focused on school, even when it was impossible and I just had a horrible practice or whatever it may be. I knew I needed to focus on school.”
He also emphasized the importance of staying grounded in one’s values.
“The most important piece is really staying true to who you are as a person, what you believe in, what you stand for.”
When asked what qualities from his time at Marist have stayed with him throughout his journey, Coogan did not hesitate.
“Everything, really. My foundation of who I am as a person and who I am as a player is Marist High School. I have always been a part of Marist High School. My dad went here, my three siblings went here, my uncles went here. It’s really a part of who I am, and it’s the foundation of what I am about. And I think everything that I’ve learned, and these building blocks of who you see here today, it all started at Marist.”
Coogan shared that NFL coaches have reached out to Coach Dawczak, his former Marist coach and now a college counselor at Marist, asking about his character and performance as a high school player, reinforcing the lasting impact of leadership and character.
He also spoke about resilience in action, reflecting on the challenges of not earning a starting role early in his college career and the difficult decision to transfer. His message was clear: growth often comes from adversity, and success is built in the moments no one sees.
His return served as a meaningful reminder of the lasting impact of a Marist education and the importance of resilience in both athletics and life.
Marist is grateful to Pat for sharing his time, perspective, and experiences with our students, and we wish him continued success as he takes the next step in his journey.
