Bob Mulcahy, who served as Director of Athletics from 1998 to 2009, was a visionary in New Jersey athletics and was instrumental in building Rutgers University football toward national prominence. He is the 10^th athletics administrator, and just the third Director of Athletics, to be inducted into Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame.

"I'm very excited," said Mulcahy when asked about the induction. "I feel that it is recognition for the job that our team did during the decade that I served. I couldn't be more congratulatory of all the people that worked with me. It's as much their induction as it is mine. We did everything as a team."

Coming off a winless season the year before his arrival, Mulcahy worked steadfastly to improve conditions for the football program. In 2005, his efforts were realized when the Scarlet Knights made their first postseason appearance in nearly 30 years.

In 2006, Rutgers began its season with nine straight victories, culminating in a 25-point comeback victory against No. 3 Louisville in what was coined "Pandemonium in Piscataway." The Scarlet Knights reached No. 3 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the BCS en route to an 11–2 final mark, a 37-10 Texas Bowl win over Kansas State and a No. 12 final ranking.

"It's hard to pick out one memory," said Mulcahy. "The victory over Navy in 2005 that made us eligible for the Insight Bowl was very special. The Louisville game in 2006 was the pinnacle of our football success and gave us national prominence. It was an exciting night for Rutgers people, wherever they were, especially those in the stadium and on the streets of New Brunswick."

The success of Rutgers Athletics' programs extended beyond football under Mulcahy's leadership. Men's basketball advanced to the 2004 NIT Final, women's basketball made two NCAA Final Four appearances and a national final, baseball won multiple Big East titles and men's track & field captured the 2005 Big East Outdoor Championship. Fittingly, the track & field team, still under the leadership of Mike Mulqueen, is also being inducted.

"The success of our olympic sport programs was equally exciting, because of the impact it had on our student-athletes," said Mulcahy. "More so than the victories and titles, was the way our student-athletes conducted themselves, which always made me incredibly proud."

Mulcahy also obtained funding from the state legislature for a massive renovation of the university's athletic facilities, raised the athletics department's endowment and secured increased television coverage for the football program.

Mulcahy positively affected student-athlete welfare, putting an emphasis on academics and community service. He initiated significant upgrades in athlete tutoring and supervision programs, boosting Rutgers to one of the top academic departments in the nation.

"Bob has spent a lifetime in public service," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "He served our nation in the Navy and he served the State of New Jersey in a variety of roles, most notable for us as our Athletic Director. Bob built the foundation on which we are building a B1G Ten athletic program. He is well deserving of this honor and we will continue to thank him in the years ahead as we write the next chapter for Rutgers Athletics."

A native of Millburn, Mulcahy hired several coaches that directed the Scarlet Knights to postseason success, including Greg Schiano (football), Scott Goodale (wrestling) and Glenn Crooks (women's soccer). Wrestling and women's soccer have remained ranked among the nation's elite.

"I will be forever grateful to Bob," said Goodale. "He took a chance on a high school wrestling coach. He was a man with a great vision for Rutgers Athletics. During the few years I spent with him, he made me understand that vision."

Prior to joining Rutgers, Mulcahy served as president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) for 19 years.

Now a resident of Basking Ridge, Mulcahy and wife Terry will enjoy the induction with a large contingent of family and friends that includes their seven children and 14 grandchildren.

"It was a journey and my family participated in it," said Mulcahy. "They lived or died, based on whether we won or lost."

Mulcahy joins fellow athletics administrators Dr. Hyman B. Copleman (1989), Janet Koontz (2003), George E. Little (1988), Dick Lloyd (2016), Nancy Mitchell (1993), John Powers (1993), Harry Rockafeller (1989), Mike Stang (1991) and Al Twitchell (1995) in the Hall of Fame. Mulcahy, Rockafeller and Twitchell are the only former athletic directors elected on the storied history of Rutgers that extends nearly 150 years.

"I approached the whole thing with passion, and with a desire and vision for success," Mulcahy said. "I never wavered from that."