Tom Holmoe to Join BYU Athletic Department
PROVO -- Val Hale, BYU's director of Men's Intercollegiate Athletics, today announced the hiring of Tom Holmoe as Associate Athletics Director for Development.
A BYU graduate and former Cougar defensive back, Holmoe went on to play seven years in the National Football League before recently completing a 12-year coaching career in college football and the NFL.
"The minute I heard Tom Holmoe was no longer going to be the football coach at Cal, I began trying to figure out how I could make him part of our athletic administrative team," Hale said. "Everyone in intercollegiate athletics who has worked with Tom has nothing but great things to say about him. He is committed to help us achieve our lofty fund-raising goals so we can continue moving our programs forward."
As Associate Athletics Director for Development, Holmoe, 42, will oversee fund-raising efforts for BYU's men's and women's athletic departments. As part of his responsibilities, he will supervise Cougar Club and the capital campaign for athletic facilities. He will also serve as the department's liaison with the LDS Foundation. Holmoe will report to the directors of both men's and women's athletics.
"I have great respect for the experience Tom has developed, and I am pleased he has accepted this appointment," Elaine Michaelis, BYU director of women's athletics, said. "I am very impressed with Tom. He has a good understanding of our needs and a lot of good ideas in terms of providing resources in support of women's athletics and olympic sports generally."
This will be the third time Holmoe has been part of BYU's athletic program. In addition to his undergraduate work and playing career, Holmoe served as a graduate assistant coach under LaVell Edwards on BYU's football team in 1990 and 1991. He earned his bachelor's degree at BYU in zoology in 1983 and received a master's degree from BYU in athletic administration in 1995.
"I'm very excited about this opportunity," Holmoe said. "To have the chance to come back to my alma mater and work and contribute to its future is special; to do it in athletics is even better. There are facilities to be built and resources needed to help teams develop. It will be a challenge and a great, rewarding experience."
Holmoe has been part of many successful programs during his career. Dating back to his sophomore year of high school, Holmoe has been part of 19 championship teams, including four Super Bowl winners.
A native of La Crescenta, Calif., Holmoe graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in southern California in 1978. A star quarterback and safety in high school, Holmoe went on to play defensive back at BYU from 1978-82. He led the Western Athletic Conference with seven interceptions as a sophomore in 1980 and earned first-team All-WAC honors as a senior in 1982. After being part of five WAC championship teams at BYU, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, where he earned three Super Bowl rings (1984, 1988, 1989) during his seven-year career.
After retiring as a player, Holmoe returned to BYU as a graduate assistant coach before accepting an offer from coaching legend Bill Walsh to be the secondary coach at Stanford in 1992. In 1994, Holmoe returned to professional football and earned his fourth Super Bowl ring as the 49ers defensive backs coach on George Seifert's staff. In 1996, Holmoe accepted a position at California as the defensive coordinator under Steve Mariucci. After Mariucci departure the next season, Holmoe took over the Golden Bear's program, serving as head coach from 1997 until resigning after this past season.
Holmoe, who along with his wife, Lori, are the parents of four children, will begin his duties with BYU in early June.
