Brian Holman - Lacrosse Coach - University of Utah Athletics

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Brian Holman

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
bholman@huntsman.utah.edu
Phone:
410-227-8767

Veteran coach Brian Holman enters his third season as Utah's head coach. He is in his fifth year overall with the program, leading the Utes transition from club to NCAA competition. Holman brings coaching experience with lacrosse powers Johns Hopkins and North Carolina to the Utes.

The 2020 season for the young Utes team saw them go 3-3-0 before seeing the season cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic that put a stop to all NCAA competition. With just six matches in the books, Colin Burke’s 31 points (15g, 16a) was on pace to break the season record of 49 points (24g, 24a) set by James Sexton in the team’s inaugural season in 2019.

Utah went 5-10 in its inaugural NCAA season in 2019. James Sexton scored 13 points against Detroit Mercy, the most any player in a single-game in the nation during that year, and his eight assists tied for second in a game nationally. Freshman defender Samuel Cambere was also named to the College Crosse All-Freshman team.

Holman took his first collegiate head-coaching job with Utah’s club lacrosse team in 2017. He was named Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Utes to the 2018 RMLC Championship. Utah finished 16-1 overall in 2018 and had seven All-Americans and nine all-conference selections and finished fifth in the final coaches poll. The Utes made appearances in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association tournament both years of his tenure, making just their second appearance in his first season in 2017 and earning a No. 10 ranking that year.

Before moving West, Holman spent eight years as an assistant coach at North Carolina (2009-16). He served a variety of roles during his tenure, including goalkeeper coach, running the substitution box, assisting with coordinating the defense, organizing camps and clinics and overseeing alumni relations. Holman helped lead the Tar Heels to the 2016 NCAA Championship as well as the 2013 ACC Championship. UNC competed in the NCAA Tournament every year during his tenure and finished in the top 10 of the national rankings seven times, including a No. 1 rank in 2013. Holman helped coach goalkeeper Kieran Burke to honorable mention All-America honors in 2014 while Chris Madalon was an All-ACC selection in 2010.

Holman served as the goalkeeper coach and defensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins from 1987-1990 and again from 1999-2000. The Blue Jays won the 1987 NCAA Championship. Goalkeeper Quint Kessenich (1987-90) was a four-time All-American, including earning first team honors twice during his career, and twice earned the national outstanding goalie award.

Holman was a three-time All-American as a player at Johns Hopkins, competing from 1980-83. Hopkins won the 1980 NCAA Championship and finished as the runners up from 1981-83, recording a 50-7 record during his tenure. Holman’s .628 career save percentage ranks third all-time in the Blue Jays record book and finished with 432 career saves. He had a .664 save percentage as a senior (141-of-212), which ranks second in a season at John Hopkins and earned him the team’s outstanding defensive player award.

Holman was the 1989 recipient of the Richardson Award for Outstanding Service to Hopkins Lacrosse.

Holman has been involved in lacrosse for 40 years as a player, coach, and parent. He has also worked as a coach at the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, Severn School and Gilman School, as a head coach in the Maryland Youth Lacrosse Association and as head coach of the Breaker’s Club Lacrosse Team in Baltimore, Md.

Holman also ran a successful mortgage business in Baltimore.

Holman, who is a native of Maryland, and his wife, Laurie (who played lacrosse and tennis at Towson University), have three children, Matt, Marcus and Sydney. Matt played two years of lacrosse at UMBC before transferring to UNC for his junior and senior seasons (2011-12). Marcus, an assistant coach at Utah, is a Premier Lacrosse League all-star and was a three-time All-American and Tewaarton Trophy finalist at UNC in 2013. Sydney also played lacrosse at UNC, earning All-America and ACC Co-Freshman of the Year honors before graduating in 2017.