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Bingo! Search mission accomplished

By Al Myatt
©2004 Bonesville.net

East Carolina is poised to announce today that M. Terry Holland will become the university's director of athletics.

ECU chancellor Steve Ballard said that Holland, a former AD at Davidson and Virginia, had emerged in the second stage of the search process conducted by consultant Chuck Neinas.

The highly-respected Holland, 62, will fill a void created by the departure of Mike Hamrick to accept the AD position at Nevada-Las Vegas in August of 2003.

Nick Floyd, who has served as interim AD during ECU's lengthy quest for a successor, is expected to remain at ECU in a supporting role to Holland.

One source indicated that both Holland and Floyd would receive 5-year contracts.

Holland, who grew up in Clinton, NC, fills Ballard's checklist in terms of experience, leadership ability and connections.

As AD at Virginia from 1995 to June of 2001, Holland's administration oversaw significant facilities improvements that included an $86 million expansion of Scott Stadium, where the Cavaliers play football.

Holland is a former member of the NCAA Basketball Committee, chairing the panel in 1997, and his connections there could prove valuable as ECU seeks to position itself for possible future inclusion in the Big East.

Holland has served on the senior national team committee of USA Basketball that selected Dream Teams II and III, and has chaired the collegiate committee for USA Basketball.

Virginia finished eighth nationally in the Sears Directors Cup standings for the 1998-99 scholastic year, its highest position ever in the all-sports competition among NCAA Division I programs.

From 2001 to the end of August of this year, Holland served as a special assistant to UVa president John T. Casteen III. Holland's responsibilities were an extension of his role as AD in fund raising for a new UVa basketball arena and in marketing. Holland resigned the assistant to the president position in mid-July, effective at the end of August.

"Anything at this stage would have to come from East Carolina, but I will be glad to talk with you later," Holland said Monday from his residence in Charlottesville, Va.

Ballard notified members of the task force that had been involved in the second stage of the search on Monday of his choice, citing Holland's credibility and connections as deciding factors.

Ballard indicated a willingness to compensate the new AD in the range of $300,000 annually in earlier discussions with the task force. Hamrick's annual salary was $180,000.

Henry Hinton, operator of Greenville's WNCT-AM 1070 and Cable 7 TV, broke the story last week of Holland's interest in the job and a meeting on the ECU campus between Holland and Ballard. Hinton, who writes a regular column for Bonesville.net, reported the development on his daily "Talk of the Town" drive-time show last Friday, predicting that Holland's hiring could be imminent. [Replay 09.03.04 Talk of the Town audio]

The first media outlet to publicly state that the deal had been put together was Greenville's WGHB-AM Pirate Radio 1250, with co-hosts Troy Dreyfus and Jonathan Ellerbe reporting the news on Labor Day on the station's "Live at Five" program. [Replay 09.60.04 Live at Five audio]

Holland is a member of the North Carolina and Virginia sports hall of fames. Holland played football, basketball and baseball at Clinton High. He was recruited in football and basketball, accepting a scholarship to Davidson as Coach Lefty Driesell's first Wildcats recruit.

Holland captained the 1963-64 Davidson hoops team. which went 22-4 and was ranked as high as third in the nation. Holland hit 63.1 percent of his field goal attempts that season, leading the nation. Following graduation, Holland remained at Davidson as an assistant and became head coach in 1969 when Driesell left for Maryland.

Holland's teams at Davidson were 92-43 (.681) and won four Southern Conference championships. The Wildcats went to the NCAA Tournament and the NIT one time each under Holland.

Holland coached Virginia from 1974 to 1990, compiling a record of 326-173 to become the winningest coach in school history. The Cavaliers made nine trips to the NCAA and four to the NIT. His 1980 UVa team, which featured 7-foot-4 freshman Ralph Sampson, won the NIT. His teams reached the Final Four in 1981 and 1984.

Holland was ACC coach of the year in 1981 and 1982. The Charlotte Observer listed Holland as one of the 50 most influential people in the history of ACC basketball in 1999.

Holland's overall college coaching record in 21 years was 418-216 (.659) He returned to his alma mater as AD from 1990 to 1995. The Wildcats added four varsity teams and returned to the Southern Conference in all sports except football during his administration. Holland was inducted into the Davidson athletic hall of fame in 1995.

During Holland's tenure as Virginia AD from 1995 to June of 2001, the Cavaliers were in the Top 30 nationally every year in the Sears' Directors Cup.

Holland turned down an offer to coach the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 1999, a "golden" package with a reported annual compensation of $1 million. Apparently, the challenge of directing ECU athletics was more appealing for Holland and wife, Ann.

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02/23/2007 12:46:28 AM
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