Aug. 22, 2011
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University Athletic Director Wood Selig named Heather Holt interim head coach of the women's lacrosse team, he announced on Monday.
A standout goalkeeper for the Lady Monarchs, Holt has been an assistant coach under former head coach Sue Stahl for the last 12 seasons.
"I'm very excited to start this new chapter of ODU lacrosse. I would like to thank Dr. Wood Selig and Bruce Stewart for their support and of course Sue Stahl for an amazing 12 plus years of learning and growing from her as an assistant coach and player. I also want to thank everyone who voiced their support of me being given this opportunity," Holt said. "With a solid foundation set in place on the field and in the classroom that Sue has developed, along with the improvements on campus and our new facility, this should only bring the program to a higher level of national exposure."
Holt played a major part in ODU's success during the 2009 season, developing goalkeeper Sarah Geary, as Geary earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors. The Lady Monarchs finished 2009 with an 11-5 overall record as Holt also helped coach CAA Player of the Year, Kelly Kimener. The team ranked as high as No. 17 nationally during the season and advanced to the CAA semifinals. Her coaching duties include recruitment of student-athletes, coordinating team travel, overseeing strength and conditioning.
As a player, Holt was as a member of the 1995 Colonial Athletic Association championship team and a four-year letterwinner in goal for the Lady Monarchs. Holt, whose career with the Lady Monarchs spanned from 1992-1995, was named was named a Second Team All-CAA selection during her senior campaign in 1995. Holt played in 43 career games for Old Dominion, collecting 386 saves for a .599 save percentage. She ranks in the top-five all-time at ODU in both save percentage and goals against average.
Over her playing career, Holt earned spots on the Virginia Women's Lacrosse Association's (VWLA) Virginia II Regional Select Team and the United States Women's Lacrosse Association's (USWLA) South III National Team. Prior to her current post, Holt served as assistant coach at William & Mary, and was a high school lacrosse coach at South Lakes High School in Fairfax, Virginia and Foxcroft in Middleburg, Virginia. Additionally she has been a camp coach and clinician at several lacrosse camps around the region, including the Director of Lacrosse at Mersead Camp in Massachusetts.
A native of Bryn Mawr, Pa., Holt and her husband, David, reside in Norfolk with their three sons, Jackson, Parker and Reece.
"Heather brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to this position. She's very passionate about ODU, being here as a student athlete and assistant coach for the past 16 years", Associate Athletic Director Bruce Stewart said. "She has a solid rapport with our incoming players as well as our current players. She knows the challenges and expectations for our lacrosse program and she is ready to continue to build on the programs successes.