2024 Hall of Fame Inductee: Patrick Cota

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Throughout the next two months, USA Field Hockey will be celebrating and honoring the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees prior to the celebration, hosted by the U.S. Field Hockey Foundation.

A 14-year U.S. Men’s National Team member, Patrick Cota represented the United States in 119 international matches and was named to the Pan American Federation Elite Team in 2009. He competed in four Pan American Games (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011), three Pan American Cups (2000, 2004, 2009), and the 2011 FIH Champions Challenge. He also played in five Indoor Pan American Cups (2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010) and two Indoor World Cups (2003, 2011).

Patrick’s participation in field hockey rose from the legacy of the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games when his soccer coach, former U.S. National Team member Chuck Valencia introduced him to the sport. He started playing through community programs offered in his elementary school and then within the Field Hockey Federation League on the U-16 boys’ team, The Camarillo Cougars. He continued to play and earned his way onto the senior squad starting in 1999 through a career that spanned until 2012.

In 2004, Patrick began his college coaching career, and has impacted the lives of hundreds of athletes around the country and the throughout the world. Over the last two decades, he has coached at the University of Michigan (2004 - 2005), Stanford University (2010-2021), and is currently at The Ohio State University (2022 - present) where he serves as an assistant coach.

During his time on the U-21 National Team, Patrick started to give back to field hockey through coaching similar programs for boys and girls that he once played in as he started his field hockey career. During his time at Stanford University, alongside fellow Hall of Famer Steve Danielson, he started the NorCal Sharks team. This team started as a high-performance boys training group but grew to training both boys and girls which helped to grow field hockey in the northern California area.

Patrick currently holds a USA Field Hockey and FIH Level 3 coaching certificate and continues to inspire the next generation of U.S. Men’s National Team players. While also on the USMNT, he coached both men’s and women’s teams through the years. He is currently the head coach for the U-18 men and assistant coach for the U-21 squad.

Patrick’s impact off the field has been equally impressive. He has served two terms on the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors as an Athlete Representative and two terms on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) on the Athlete Advisory Council. Lastly, he continues to serve as a director on the USA Men's Field Hockey Foundation, where the aim is to grow playing opportunities for all and continue to promote boys field hockey in the United States.

“Pat's accomplishments are legendary in USA field hockey,” said Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director. “They run deep - a 14-year playing career with the U.S. Men’s National Team and one of the first male athletes to receive 100 international caps in our history. He continues to give back to the sport, coaching at every level through club, college and junior national team. He embodies all that is great about our sport and this induction is much deserved. Congratulations Pat! “

Patrick is truly worthy of induction in the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame. He is one of the most decorated men’s national team athletes and has dedicated his life to the sport that he loves and the game that has given so much back in return.

Join us as we celebrate and honor the 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees on Friday, May 24, 2024, at the 2024 Hall of Fame Celebration, hosted by the U.S. Field Hockey Foundation, at The Hyatt Regency Westlake in Westlake Village, Calif. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. An extended thank you goes to 2024 Hall of Fame sponsors AstroTurf and Beyond Pulse.