NEWS, Jan. 18, 1997 Tom Holmoe Named Football Head Coach at UC Berkeley

From The Official Site of Cal Athletics

Berkeley -- The University of California announced today the hiring of Tom Holmoe as the school's new head football coach. One of the most respected names in the game of football, Holmoe, 36, has been at Cal for one season serving as the Golden Bears' defensive coordinator in 1996. The new Cal head coach has a long history of being associated with winning teams, both as a player and coach. Since he began playing football as a sophomore in high school, he has been on teams that have won conference championships 19 times in that 22-season span. He also can claim four Super Bowl rings as a member of the San Francisco 49er championship teams in 1984, '88 and '89 and as an assistant coach on the 1994 title team. That reputation as a winner along with his leadership abilities and character were traits that led Cal Athletic Director John Kasser to quickly name Holmoe just two days following the resignation of Steve Mariucci, who was named the head coach of the 49ers on Thursday afternoon. "Sometimes you find all the qualities you really admire in one person and that's why I feel so comfortable in announcing we have selected Tom Holmoe as our new football coach," said Kasser. "He has a great football mind, high energy level, a positive outlook on life, he's a great recruiter, nobody can match his integrity and he'll be a first-class representative of the University of California." Holmoe agreed to a five-year contract which will extend through the 2001 season and indicated he was thrilled with the opportunity to be at the helm of the Cal program on a long-term basis. "The opportunity to be a head coach at a school as prestigious as the University of California is something most only dream about," said Holmoe. "I'm excited about the challenge and feel extremely confident that I can continue to build on the foundation that we've started here at Cal this past year. "Anybody who knows me, knows what I stand for in terms of honesty and integrity and that's what I want this program to stand for. We will have a program that everybody at the University of California can be proud of. I absolutely believe we can build a consistent winner and do it with student-athletes who want to excel not just on the football field, but also in the classroom. "I've agreed to a long-term contract here and I intend on fulfilling it. I've been in the NFL and, while I enjoyed my time there both as a player and coach, I really feel that the college level is where I want to be. I also indicated to John Kasser that I'm committed to Cal and won't be somebody who considers offers from other schools during my time here." While Holmoe's defense last season was under-manned, using five freshmen starters and ranking low in most statistical areas, that area figures to be the strength of the Cal team in 1997 with the experience gained by the younger players and an infusion of new talent that has arrived. Holmoe has a large group of people who believe he'll be a superior head coach, including such coaching legends as Bill Walsh and LaVell Edwards. "This is a tremendous choice for the University of California," said former 49er coach Bill Walsh. "Tom Holmoe is so far above any other candidate I could think of for the head coaching position at Cal, that it must have been an easy decision. He has an outstanding football mind, he's extremely intelligent and he's well organized. He just exudes class and he'll be a great asset to the University of California." "Tommy may be soft spoken, but there's a fire that burns in his belly," said BYU head coach LaVell Edwards. "He's very competitive. He obviously knows the game, he's great with people, whether it be players, coaches, administrators or alumni and he's very meticulous. He'll recruit well because players and their families will realize he has a genuine interest in them and not just their football skills. He just has a lot of traits which will make him successful." A native of Glendale, CA who was born on March 7, 1960, Holmoe prepped at Crescenta Valley High School in the San Fernando Valley. A versatile athlete, he starred at both quarterback and safety, before graduating in 1978. He set a pair of school records with a pass reception for 82 yards and a kickoff return for 93 yards. His prep team won league titles two of his three seasons as a player. He moved on to Brigham Young where he became a standard in the Cougar secondary for the next several years. He was BYU's starting cornerback from 1980 to '82, leading the Western Athletic Conference with seven interceptions as a sophomore in 1980. He went on to earn first team WAC honors as a senior and was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers in 1983. While a collegian, the Cougars won WAC titles all five seasons he was in the program. During his seven-year career with the 49ers he brought home three Super Bowl rings and San Francisco won their division each and every season from 1983 to '89. Playing both safety positions as well as being a valuable special teams member, he totaled 151 tackles in his career. He posted a career-best 46 tackles and led the 49ers in interception return yardage with 149 yards on three picks in 1986. He also scored a pair of touchdowns that season. The first was a 66-yard return of a pass that was intercepted by Ronnie Lott and then lateraled to Holmoe and the second was a 78-yard interception return by Holmoe against St. Louis for a TD. After retiring from pro football, Holmoe entered the coaching ranks, returning to BYU to serve as a graduate assistant under LaVell Edwards in 1990 and '91. Again the Cougars were WAC champions both seasons. He accepted an offer from Bill Walsh to become the Stanford secondary coach in 1992 and stayed there two years. The Cardinal were Pac-10 co-champions in '92 with a 10-3 overall record and a win over Penn State in the Blockbuster Bowl that season. In 1994, Holmoe moved back to the pro ranks serving as George Seifert's defensive backfield coach for two seasons. During his tenure with the team, three of the four 49er starting defensive backs were named to the Pro Bowl and Merton Hanks emerged as one of the top safeties in all of football. In '95, the 49ers recorded 26 interceptions, the team's highest total in nine years. In 1994, San Francisco recorded 23 picks, which was the best mark by the team since 1986. Holmoe also benefited from working with two of the brightest minds in the NFL under coordinators Ray Rhodes ('94) and Pete Carroll ('95). Holmoe graduated from BYU with a degree in zoology in 1983 and received a master's degree from the same school in athletic administration in 1995. He and his wife, Lori, live in Foster City with four children: Shannon (12), Daniel (10), Erik (8) and Lauren (2). What They're Saying About Tom Holmoe Bill Walsh, Former San Francisco 49er Head Coach... This is a tremendous choice for the University of California. Tom Holmoe is so far above any other candidate I could think of for the head coaching position at Cal, that it must have been an easy decision. He has an outstanding football mind, he's extremely intelligent and he's well organized. He just exudes class and he'll be a great asset to the University of California. Tom was one of the best, if not the best, recruiter I've ever been associated with. As far as football knowledge, he's right there with the best of them. This is an outstanding choice, one that will pay dividends for Cal for years and years.. Tom had a tremendous football mind as a player. His intelligence as a player overcame some of the difference in natural ability with some other player. We knew that when we replaced Ronnie Lott with Tom Holmoe, we wouldn't lose a step. He'll bring that type of intelligence and intensity with him as a coach and that's a great combination. LaVell Edwards, Brigham Young University Head Coach... As a player, Tom wasn't fast enough to play defensive back in the NFL, but all he did was play seven years with the best team in professional football. Those same innate qualities will make him a very successful head coach. He may be soft spoken, but there's a fire that burns in his belly. He's very competitive. He obviously knows the game, he's great with people, whether it be players, coaches, administrators or alumni and he's very meticulous. He'll recruit well because players and their families will realize he has a genuine interest in them and not just their football skills. He just has a lot of traits which will make him successful. Steve Mariucci, San Francisco 49er Head Coach... Tom will do a great job. He's a man of integrity, a class act from start to finish. I think he'll represent all that the University of California stands for. There are no false pretenses about him, he's just very sincere. Bill Walsh told me he's the best recruiter he's ever seen. He'll be able to keep the continuity, keep the recruiting going, the staff together and add his own touch. There's a toughness to Tom Holmoe that doesn't come across to the media and the public, but when he gets on the practice field, he's a tough guy. Remember, he played a long time in the NFL. Our defense didn't perform well, but I think its ridiculous to put all the blame on Tom Holmoe for that. We had more youngsters than JC teams. The thing that impressed me was that Tom stayed steady all year. I admired his composure. Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49er Wide Receiver I'm really happy and proud of Tom's accomplishment of being named Cal's head coach. I remember as a player Tom always was a real student of the game. And I know he will do well in this new role.