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Marian University Ind.

Official Athletics Site of Marian University Knights

Michael Holman

  • Title
    Head Coach
  • Phone
    317.955.6585
  • Email
    mholman@marian.edu
  • Alma Mater
    Ball State '78
  • Year
    11TH SEASON

BIO

Head coach Mike Holman is entering his 11th season at the helm of the Marian University cross country and track and field programs after being named the second-ever head coach on July 20, 2012. Holman brings a wealth of international experience to the track and field as well as the cross country course.

In 2022 the Knights had a successful season as Holman coached NAIA National Qualifier Joe Barrett. Barrett finished 10th at the Crossroads League Championships, and became Holman's first All-American in Cross Country as he finished 30th at nationals. 

In 2021, Marian returned to the national stage as the Knights qualified for the NAIA Championships as a team for the first time since 2016. Joe Barrett snapped Marian's drought of CL honorees as he was named to the Crossroads League Team with a top-15 finish at the league meet, as Barrett qualified for the NAIA Championships as an individual. 

In 2018-19, Holman coached NAIA national qualifier, Conor Smith. Smith placed 10th at the Crossroads League Championships to punch his ticket to the national stage.

In 2016-17, Holman coached the men's cross country team to the Crossroads League championship. Holman was named the Crossroads League Coach of the Year and the NAIA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.

In 2016-17, Holman guided the men's squad to its second berth in the NAIA National Championships as a team and led the team to a 26th-place finish, which is the second-highest in program history. The Knights earned an at-large berth after a fourth-place finish at the Crossroads League Championships.

In 2014-15, he guided Isaak Haas and Douglas Taylor to All-Crossroads League honors and saw his five scoring runners finish in the top 25 within the league. Haas finished 12th to lead MU, while Taylor finished in 14th place. Holman also guided the team to five top 6 finishes out of the eight meets in which they competed. He also saw Mark Babbey earn Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete honors for his performance in the classroom.

In his first two seasons, he guided the Knights to a pair of seventh-place finishes at the Crossroads League Championships and led them to victory at Ball State in 2012-13 and to their highest-ever finish at the Great Lakes Invitational (18th).

As head track and field coach, Holman has guided the men's and women's programs to 20 total Crossroads League Championships. The men's program to back-to-back Crossroads League Outdoor Track and Field Championships for five consecutive years, ranging from the 2013-14 season to 2017-18. The men added three more CL Championships in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 to bring their total to eight. In the indoor season for the men, the Knights have won the last four CL Championships. On the women's side, Marian has won three indoor and four outdoor Crossroads League Championships. In indoor, the women have won three consecutive championships beginning in 2019, while in the outdoor season they have won in 2016-17 and three in a row from 2020-23. 

In the 2022-23 season, the men's program combined for a total of 26 NAIA All-Americans (13 indoor, 13 outdoor) and the women's program had 11 (five indoor, six outdoor). The women ended the NAIA Outdoor National Championships with 36 points, setting a new program record for points and finishing fourth overall as a team. Marian hit the podium for the first time in program history and has the highest ever finish on both the men's and women's side. The men finished eighth at the outdoor championships and sixth at the indoor championships, while the women took eighth at indoor. 

Had the most men qualifiers for the 2023 NAIA Outdoor National Championships with 22, and had 10 women qualified for the championships as well. 

From 2020-22, Holman coached three NAIA National Champions. Erin Oleksak became the National Champion in the pentathlon in 2020 and 2022, before Naomi Walters was the next to win a championship as she was crowned the 2021 Outdoor Triple Jump Champion. In the 2022 season, Holman had three student-athletes named a National Champion in the outdoor season, with Bryce Carmack in the pole vault, Jai-Lyn Norwood in the triple jump, and Arriana Benjamin in the shot put. 

Coached Taylor Killings to three National Champion title (2016-17), while Presley Martin was the National Champion in the 800m in 2017. 

Holman led a school record 22 Knights to the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in 2014-15 and earned a program-best 26th-place finish. He also took the men's indoor squad to a 20th-place finish in 2014-15.

At the national meet, Holman had all three relays competing at the championship and all three relays brought NAIA All-America honors back to Indianapolis. As one of two programs to earn all-america honors in all three relays, the Knights earned a trio of fifth-place finishes in the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800-meter relays. The 4x800-meter relay also earned NAIA All-America honors at the indoor championships to give MU four relays earning all-america honors in 2014-15.

In his first two seasons, 14 school records fell with three more being broken in 2014-15. Over his first three seasons, the men's squad has earned 15 individual league titles and has swept the three relays at the outdoor championships for two consecutive seasons.

Prior to MU, Holman spent the 2011-12 season with the University of Indianapolis as an assistant coach and has more than 20 years of coaching experience in both cross country and track and field.

He was with UIndy after a 23-year stint as head coach at Lawrence Central High School. During his time at LCHS, Holman coached two state championship teams, had four teams finish as state runners-up and his teams won 20 conference championships in track and three in cross country. His teams earned a combined 17 sectional championships and 10 regional titles.

Holman has earned 12 total Crossroads League Coach of the Year honors, seven on the men's side and six on the women's. Holman was also an 18-time conference coach of the year who guided 12 student-athletes to high school all-america honors.

A two-time USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Men's Track Head Coach of the Year (2021-22, 2022-23).

As a cross country coach, he coached two individual state champions and had 180 individual state qualifiers. He also had over 50 student-athletes ranked in the top 50 in the United States.

Holman has also served as Field Director of Junior Elite Athletes and Emerging Elite Coaches Programs since 1996. He conducted camps at the Olympic Training Center as Lead Instructor in Chula Vista, Calif., and at the Walt Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., for three weeks out of the year. He is a Level I Certified Coach/Instructor who is responsible for the operational budget as well as for contacting and recruiting athletes and coaches to attend the camp.

On the international scene, Holman was an assistant coach for the 2006 World Championship team that competed in Moscow and was support staff at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as well as for the 2011 World Championships in Daugu, South Korea. Additionally, he served as support staff for the U.S. Men's and Women's Track and Field teams at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

He is a three-time IATCCC (Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Coach of the Year who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

From 1980-88, Holman was the head coach at Muncie Northside High School after a stint at Wapahani High School in 1979-80. He began his coaching career at Eastern Hancock High School in 1978-79. During his coaching days at the high school level, Holman also served as a biology teacher.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from Ball State University in 1978 and earned a master of science degree from BSU in 1988.

He and his wife currently reside in Indianapolis.