Joey Mulinaro: Meet the Impressionist Skewering Sports’ Biggest Figures

Comedian Frank Caliendo has long been known as the man that impersonates some of sports’ biggest names. He has versions of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, First Take co-host Stephen A. Smith, and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick among others. However, another man is making a name for himself due to his impressions.

Joey Mulinaro, a former intern at Barstool Sports, used to create videos for Barstool Heartland but has since become a full-time member of the team. However, he didn’t immediately transition from intern to full-time member of Barstool; Mulinaro began drawing attention for the various videos that he posted on Twitter. This included impressions of Alabama head coach Nick Saban at Thanksgiving dinner and many versions of Colin Cowherd.

Mulinaro has built up a considerable fanbase with his large assortment of videos on social media, which led to his current tenure with Barstool. He is now creating videos for the site and incorporating even more impressions on a daily basis.

Whether he has been seen on The Rich Eisen Show or ESPN, Mulinaro has been generating a considerable amount of praise and attention in recent months. Here are some of his best impressions that showcase his talent.

Andrew Luck

Mulinaro has many popular impressions, but a fan-favorite is Andrew Luck. The now-retired Indianapolis Colts quarterback is an upbeat person with a distinctive laugh, and many fans appreciate how the impressionist captured his personality and voice.

Mulinaro has used this Luck impression in a variety of settings, including during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. He and Caliendo went back and forth with their impressions but brought the show to a halt with a conversation between Mulinaro’s version of Luck and Caliendo’s version of Gruden.

Nick Saban

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is a fairly soft-spoken individual, but he has been known to scream at referees and players alike throughout his championship career. Saban can easily flip from speaking softly to screaming seemingly out of the blue.

While Mulinaro has done many impressions of Saban, including those that feature him yelling, he has drawn more attention for the quieter videos. One specific clip featured his version of Saban reading tweets by Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach.

Ed Orgeron

When Ed Orgeron took over as LSU’s head coach midway through the 2016 season, he immediately drew attention for his distinctive voice. Some people had difficulty understanding him when he talked, except for his now-iconic “Go Tigers.”

Recreating Orgeron’s voice may not be the easiest task, but Mulinaro has elicited praise for his ability. He has perfectly captured the unique cadence and deep voice, pleasing many LSU fans.

Pat McAfee

Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee retired from the NFL following the 2016 season and has since been pursuing a number of projects. He has the very successful podcast, “The Pat McAfee Show,” and he was also part of ESPN’s College  GameDay during the 2019 season.

Mulinaro’s impression of McAfee appears to be based on the time that the former punter was part of the broadcast crew for a game between Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. His calls entertained football fans and sparked a highlight reel from the NFL.

Colin Cowherd

Colin Cowherd, the host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, is someone that has spent his career making bold statements about various players across the NBA, the NFL, and MLB. He has also been associated with comments that aren’t entirely accurate.

Mulinaro’s impression of Cowherd has elicited praise due to two factors. First off, he captures the way in which the radio host’s voice goes high-pitched at random times. Second, he criticizes Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, which is something that Cowherd routinely does.  

Mel Kiper Jr.

One of the more surprising impressions in Mulinaro’s repertoire is that of ESPN’s draft analyst, Mel Kiper Jr. The man that has been discussing draft picks since 1984 has been the focus of a Caliendo impression, but he has still been less prevalent than Stephen A. Smith or other big names.

Mulinaro recently showed off his Kiper impression, acknowledging that Caliendo’s version at the same time. He opted to avoid discussing football and instead focused on ways to spend Valentine’s Day.

Joe Exotic

Netflix’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness has been trending in recent days as viewers have become fascinated with the former Oklahoma zoo owner. Apparently, Mulinaro is among this group and wanted to showcase his Joe Exotic impression.

The fan-favorite impressionist posted a video that showed two of his characters interacting. Exotic was claiming that he was the true “Tiger King” while Orgeron was providing his side of the argument. 

(Photo Credit: @JoeyMulinaro