Hokie ClubAssociate head coach Patrick McSorley enters his 18th season with the Hokies in 2026, continuing to play a key role in Virginia Tech’s rise as a competitive program on the national stage. Since joining head coach Mike Brizendine in 2009, McSorley has been instrumental in player development and program success, contributing to six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016–21, highlighted by an Elite Eight run in 2016.
Virginia Tech opened the 2025 season with a statement victory over No. 3 Ohio State and followed with a five-match unbeaten stretch. During that run, the Hokies climbed as high as No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
The season also featured notable individual success, with three Hokies reaching career milestones. McSorley helped guide Dagur Traustason to ACC All-Freshman Team honors who was the fourth consecutive freshman to earn this honor. Meanwhile goalkeeper Sam Joseph signed with Portland Timbers 2 of MLS NEXT Pro.
In 2024, Virginia Tech showed marked improvement, recording its highest win total since 2021, including multiple ACC victories.
In 2023 the season was stamped by three consecutive wins including a notable victory over No. 5 Louisville on Sept. 15.
In June of 2021, McSorley was named one of the 12 best "difference maker" assistant coaches by College Soccer News. An accomplishment that has been reflected in the elevated standard of play in Virginia Tech men's soccer over the last decade.
While at Tech, McSorley has worked to return the Hokies to the forefront of the national soccer scene, helping Tech to six consecutive NCAA appearances from 2016-2021. Since his arrival in 2008, six Hokies have been selected in the MLS Draft, including No. 1 overall pick Daniel Pereira. Joining Pereira in MLS selection are Devante Dubose (2014), Juan Pablo Saavedra (2017), 21st overall selection Ben Lundgaard (2018), James Kasak (2020), and Kristo Strickler (2021).
Prior to coming to Blacksburg, McSorley spent six years at his alma mater, James Madison University, where he was an assistant coach and associate head coach. Before JMU, McSorley spent four years as the top assistant coach at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington.
While at JMU, McSorley recruited and coached four players who were later drafted by the MLS, two All-Americans and numerous All-Conference and All-Region players. He also helped lead the Dukes to a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005.
As a player at JMU, McSorley was a third-team All-American as a senior in 1995 and played on four NCAA Tournament teams (quarterfinalist in 1994 and 1995; first round in 1992 and 1993) and three Colonial Athletic Association champion teams (1992, 1993, 1994). In the 1994 NCAA Tournament, McSorley scored the game-winning goal against North Carolina in a 3-0 first round victory and assisted on the game-winner in a 2-1 second round victory over Duke.
McSorley’s 42 goals and 103 points still stand as all-time JMU career records, and he is tied for 15th place on the Dukes’ career assist list with 19. He earned All-South Atlantic Region first-team, all-state first team, All-CAA second-team honors and was named to the Nike College Challenge Senior All-Star Team in 1995 in addition to being voted JMU’s offensive MVP. That year, he was also named one of the Top-10 midfielders in the nation by Soccer News and earned Soccer News All-America honorable mention, making him one of only five players in JMU history at the time to earn All-America recognition.
In 2000, he was named one of the school’s Top-50 athletes of all time by the JMU student newspaper, The Breeze. McSorley was inducted into the JMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
McSorley played professional soccer for four years, most recently with the USL Roanoke Wrath (1998-2000).
A native of Springfield, Virginia, McSorley earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from JMU in 1996 and a master’s degree in sports recreation and leadership from JMU in 2007. He is married to the former Bridget Brugger, an associate athletics director, strategic planning & special projects at Virginia Tech. They have three children, Morgan, Addison and Connor.