Transforming a Locker Room, Honoring a Mulholland Legacy

By Audrey Hill

From high school to college, football locker rooms set the stage for pivotal moments, from pep talks to post-game analysis. At their heart, these spaces provide a place for team bonding, built over years of practice, toil, and competition.

Athletic facilities are key to recruitment and reflect institutional investment. In the Brigadier General Mulholland Locker Room renovation underway at the DuFour Center at The Catholic University of America, the space represents something else - a memorial in honor of a Cardinal alumni football player and a testament to the community who united to support the future of football at Catholic University.

The football locker room, which opens in Fall 2026, honors U.S. Army Ret. Brigadier General Sean Patrick Mulholland, B.A. 1982, a former Catholic University football team player. For the first time, the football team will have an exclusive locker room, enabling them to own the space, access high-end technology, and more effectively recruit players and staff.

A Testament to Brigadier General Sean Mulholland

Catholic University football played a big role in Sean Mulholland’s life. He served as team captain, a leadership role that set the foundation for an illustrious military career as a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier. Multi-talented, he was a member of the rugby team, too.

“The Mulholland legacy is one of service, leadership, and unwavering dedication to others,” said Kevin Robinson, vice president for athletics and recreation at Catholic University. “That is what we want for all our student-athletes.”

After college, Sean Mulholland entered the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) to become a doctor, but was instead drawn to life in the field. He served globally in the Army Special Forces, rising to Brigadier General, earning a Bronze Star, and being inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame. He was devoted to the care of the soldiers in his command, ensuring that his fellow soldiers—especially wounded warriors—found purpose and meaning in service. Sean died in 2018 at age 58.

“Sean was a selfless leader who really knew how to get people to work together,” said his sister Sheila Mulholland, B.A. 1984 and CEO of Valhalla Road Partners. “I think he learned a lot of that at Catholic University, especially through the football team.”

The Mulholland family was deeply connected to Catholic University, with Sean Mulholland’s siblings Sheila and the late Bob Mulholland, B.A. 1978, M.S.W. 1980, attending the University. Bob’s former wife, née Karyn Dolan, B.S.N. 1979, M.S.N. 1985, was in the Athletics Hall of Fame, and their daughter, Casey Ann Mulholland, B.S.N. 2010, was also a Cardinal.

Sean’s cousin, Tom Mulholland, B.A. 1992, was a valued football player who returned to Catholic University as the football team’s defensive coordinator from 1993-2002 and then served as head coach from 2002-03. He died in 2022 and is survived by his wife Dr. Niveen Mulholland and children, Tara, Jimmy and Megan. Tom’s sister Colleen Mulholland studied social work at the University, while his brother, Tim Mulholland, continued the military tradition and became a Green Beret, eventually retiring as a major in the Special Forces. Tom’s mother and Sean’s aunt, Mary Edith Mulholland, who was known as Edie, served as a staff member in the financial aid office of the University.

The Cardinal Football Team Bond

Following Sean Mulholland's death, former teammates, family, and friends–as well as alumni with no direct connection to him–have stepped up to fund the $1.5 million locker room renovation project.

Major donors include Vinny Sica, B.M.E 1983, a teammate and friend of Sean, who also gave to endow the head football coach position. Scott Amey, B.A., 1969, and his wife, Deborah Amey, provided a matching gift of $100,000 to the project, even without a personal connection to the Mulhollands. Scott Amey played football at Catholic University and sought to give back to his alma mater and improve team recruitment. Sean’s teammates and classmates, as well as classmates of his alumni siblings, contributed to the athletics project.

“Sean was a natural born leader,” Sica said, who first met Sean Mulholland in football practice. “His achievements in the military were no surprise to those of us who played ball with him. He took everybody on the team under his wing and that translated well into the military field.”

Many of the football players of that era formed lifelong friendships. In all, Catholic University alumni spanning five decades have united to fund the Mulholland Locker Room, with $1.16 million raised. The University is seeking donors to complete the final stretch of the project.

“We wanted to honor Sean and showcase his service to the school and the country. Having a new locker room that serves students for years to come is a benefit to the team and allows people to see the kind of alumni Catholic University produces,” Sica added.

Make a Gift to the Mulholland Locker Room

A Locker Room Unchanged Since 1985

“The locker room is not only a facility, it’s where the team builds culture. A football brotherhood begins there and is passed down from generation to generation,” said Kory David, the head football coach who started in January 2026.

After the renovation, the Brigadier General Mulholland Locker Room features will include:

• Sufficient lockers for each team member to have a locker and equipment storage area
• Gathering space large enough to accommodate the whole team
• Technology, including multiple televisions, to display practice plans and practice analysis
• Exclusive use for the football team year-round

“There will be a new modern, dedicated football locker room, as well as men’s and women’s swimming locker rooms,” said HKS Vice President and Senior Project Manager Kevin Nowak, B.S 2001, M.Arch. 2003, who is leading the renovation. “It will be a drastic change. The existing locker room is from 1985 and has not been touched since then. It will have modern lockers, upgraded lighting, new finishes and a more open feel.”

Staff and players alike say the change is most welcome and will influence recruitment.

“When I first got here, the athletics team didn’t show the locker room during the interview process,” David said. “When I saw it, I thought, ‘Let’s keep that policy.’ Now, with the renovation, the locker room is going to be a key piece in recruitment.”

A New Vision for Football at Catholic University

As the football team enters the 2026-27 season, changes are afoot. David, who Robinson describes as “a fighter and a grinder,” is kicking off his first season at the helm. The Brigadier General Mulholland Locker Room is set to open in September 2026. The team’s trajectory looks promising.

“I’m most excited about hanging out with the team in the new locker room,” said football team co-captain Nole Henry, Class of 2027. For Henry, along with co-captain Blake Stolarik, the opportunity to play football was a big reason to attend the University.

“We’re an extremely tight group, not only teammates, but friends,” said Stolarik, Class of 2027.

For the team, the effort to fund the locker room demonstrates the enduring bond and the lifelong commitment of Cardinal alumni.

“I think the support shows the respect, not only for the Mulhollands, but also for the team,” David said.

“It’s one big strong brotherhood,” Stolarik said. “The amount of alumni who have donated shows that it doesn't stop when you graduate. Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal. You pave the way for the people to come.”

As for Nole, his current real estate internship with Washington, D.C.-based Menkiti Group, is a result of a connection through Cardinal football alumnus Joe Martin, B.S.B.A. 2010.

“It shows how strong our alumni connections are. We’re not alumni yet, but the Mulholland Locker Room project really gives me a good idea of how much the alumni care,” Henry said.