After 20 years at the helm, and leading BYU through one of its most successful eras, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe announced his retirement effective at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 athletic season.
Thank You, Tom.
— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) February 11, 2025
After 20 years of service as BYU’s director of athletics, Tom Holmoe has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2024-25 athletic season.
Tom lifted BYU to unprecedented heights during his tenure, leaving an undeniable legacy that will last forever. pic.twitter.com/65Okewta7K
Over his two decades at the helm, Holmoe led BYU to new heights, including the landmark achievement of BYU joining the Big 12 Conference. From his time as a student athlete to athletic director, Holmoe has left an enduring legacy at BYU.
Holmoe was named BYU’s athletic director on March 1, 2005. Among some of his other achievements include being named NACDA Athletic Director of the Year. Under his watch, BYU athletics combined to win four national championships and a combined 133 conference regular season and postseason championships.
Under his watch, 350 student-athletes earned 350 All-America status. Under his watch, BYU had an average ranking of 36th in the annual NACDA Learfield Directors’ Cup, which ranks all athletics programs across the country. BYU even finished No. 1 in the Directors’ Cup in the fall of 2022. He also oversaw BYU’s transition from the Mountain West Conference to independence as well as BYU’s time in the West Coast Conference.
Tributes began pouring in from all across the country when news of Holmoe's retirement spread:
Thank you, @TomHolmoe!! https://t.co/LUoBd6yqoz
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) February 11, 2025
BREAKING: BYU Athletic Director, @TomHolmoe announces he will retire at the end of the 2024/25 sports season.
— Jarom Jordan (@jaromjordan) February 11, 2025
Holmoe has been the BYU Athletic Director since 2005.
What a tenure Holmoe had.
Leading BYU back from 3-straight losing seasons in football to winning the Mountain… pic.twitter.com/uXFETGIGoh
News: Longtime BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has announced he will retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) February 11, 2025
One of the absolute best in the business.
While he served as BYU’s athletic director, Holmoe also served as a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, received the 2023 John L. Toner Award and was also the executive council committee chair for the West Coast Conference. Holmoe has been instrumental in hiring some of the most successful coaches in BYU athletics history, including BYU football coach Kalani Sitake and women’s volleyball coach Heather Olmstead. Holmoe even lead the charge to sign current men’s basketball coach Kevin Young, who was receiving interest for NBA coaching jobs.
Holmoe also contributed to BYU as a student athlete himself, playing as a defensive back for BYU’s football team from 1978-82. During his time on the team, Holmoe earned All-WAC honors in 1982.
He was also drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He was a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams as a player with the 49ers in the 1984,1988 and 1989 seasons. He also won another ring with the 49ers as the defensive backfield coach in 1994.
After finishing his coaching career, Holmoe returned to BYU in 2002 as associate athletic director for development.
Holmoe graduated from BYU with a degree in zoology in 1983 and received a master’s degree from BYU in athletic administration in 1995.
Holmoe will hold a news conference Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. It can be seen live on BYUtv and BYUtv.org.