Oklahoma State University Athletics
Tom Holliday
June 01, 2003 | Cowboy Baseball
Known throughout coaching circles as a great recruiter and proven winner, Holliday is in select company among the coaches in the hallowed history of the program. He opens the 2003 season just three wins away from 250 in his career and will move into third place on Oklahoma State’s victory list with just one win this year.
Tradition is something that is very important to Holliday, and he believes in putting a high-quality product on the field that has a chance at competing for conference and national championships year in and year out, just like the Cowboys have done over the last 40 years.
The Cowboys won 35 or more games for the 23rd straight year in 2002 and finished in fifth place in the Big 12, barely missing the NCAA tournament.
Coach Holliday reached a special milestone in the 2001 campaign, winning his 200th game on April 22 against Texas A&M (9-4). Oklahoma State went 42-22 and advanced to the championship round of the New Orleans Regional before falling to eventual College World Series team Tulane.
The 2000 season was a memorable one for Holliday and his staff as OSU finished 36-22 and was denied a NCAA regional appearance for the first time since 1980. OSU rebounded from that and had one of the best recruiting classes in school history/
The 1999 season was a special one for Holliday who came close to the College World Series in his first two seasons, only to fall short each time. Holliday guided a senior-laden club to the school’s 19th College World Series appearance as the Cowboys finished with a 46-21 ledger and were ranked No. 8 in the country. The Pokes once again established themselves as one of the preeminent baseball programs in the country.
In 1998, Holliday guided the Pokes to their 19th straight 40-win season and 18th straight NCAA appearance as OSU finished 40-21 overall and sixth in the Big 12.
In his first season at the helm, Holliday guided the Cowboys to their 30th NCAA Regional appearance, a 46-win season, and a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference.
Entering his seventh term, Holliday sees many more successes on the horizon. Winning on the field is not Holliday’s only goal. He believes making a difference in the players’ lives off the field is just as important. Holliday feels the whole college baseball experience gives young players time to develop emotionally, physically and spiritually in a more protected and structured environment. The student-athletes’ education and college experiences will be invaluable to him for the rest of his life. Holliday has been able to remain at Oklahoma State for 26 years because he believes in the university and the people who run it. He has been able to bring in top recruits from around the country because he believes in what he has to sell academically, athletically and socially. Under his watch at Oklahoma State the Cowboys have made significant strides in the classroom and last year led the Big 12 conference with eight players receiving Academic All-Conference honors.
Holliday has helped coach many great players who continued their baseball careers in the minor and major leagues. He has coached many more who have become “major leaguers” in other professions. Many past players have maintained their relationships with the coaches and the program. There has been a rich baseball tradition at OSU for decades, and this tradition shall continue. Each and every player has been a brick in the building of one of the top programs in the country. The program belongs to each player, past and present. Each year, more players help support the program, as do the great fans and alumni. This kind of support is another reason Holliday has enjoyed his 25 years at OSU.
Holliday began his collegiate playing career at Yavapai Junior College in Prescott, Ariz., where he played under eventual Oklahoma State coach Gary Ward. He then transferred to the University of Miami, where he lettered two years as a catcher and first baseman. While at Miami, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in education.
In 1975, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, with which he played for a year in the minor leagues in Niagara Falls, N.Y. At the end of his professional career, Holliday decided he wanted to coach the sport he loved.
Holliday began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Miami (Fla.), in 1976. Later that year, he accepted the assistant coaching job at Arizona State University, and it was that year the Sun Devils won the 1977 NCAA Championship. It was that same year that everything changed. On Aug. 25, 1977, Holliday joined the Cowboys as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator under Gary Ward. During his 19 years as an assistant, Holliday became widely recognized by college coaches and members of professional baseball as one of the best recruiters in the nation. More than 60 of his pitchers have signed professional contracts.
On Nov. 25, 1996, Holliday’s dream came true as he was named the head coach of the Oklahoma State baseball program, taking over for longtime Cowboy coach Gary Ward. It is with great honor and enthusiasm that Holliday continues the job of maintaining Cowboy Baseball’s nationally renowned tradition of excellence.
Holliday was born on March 5, 1953, in Uniontown, Pa. He is married to the former Kathy Blair and has two sons, Josh (26) and Matt (23).
