June 20, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University named Heather Holt as head women's lacrosse coach, Athletic Director Dr. Wood Selig announced on Wednesday. Holt had spent the last year as the interim head coach after Sue Stahl retired in August 2011.
“Heather Holt has been a valued member of the ODU women’s lacrosse program since she excelled as a student-athlete for us from 1992-1995,” said Selig. “Heather has earned the opportunity to lead our women’s lacrosse program as a result of her commitment to competitive excellence and student-athlete well being. She is a true team player and our women’s lacrosse program continues to be leaders in community outreach and academic accomplishment. We look forward to this new era for women’s lacrosse at ODU. I want to thank Senior Associate Athletic Director Bruce Stewart and the selection committee for running an outstanding search process culminating in the hiring of Heather Holt.”
A standout goalkeeper for the Lady Monarchs, Holt was an assistant coach for Stahl for 12 seasons before serving as interim head coach in the 2012 season where she coached a First Team All-CAA selection in senior midfielder Lisa Bernardini and a second team All-CAA selection in senior defender Hannah McBee. In addition, ODU defeated Louisville for the first time in school history last season and earned their first victory over rival William & Mary since 2007. The Lady Monarchs ranked in the top-25 nationally in groundballs per game and caused turnovers and won the inaugural Monarch Cup Challenge at the Athletic Awards Banquet at the end of the school year which is awarded to the team that best exemplified service in the community and on campus.
“I am extremely excited to have this opportunity. I know that with hard work and dedication, this team will reach new heights and transform into a winning program,” said Holt. “We made tremendous strides on the field this past year. The current team, and the addition of a very strong freshmen class, will enable this program to reach new levels of success. I would like to thank our administration, especially President Broderick, Dr. Wood Selig, and Bruce Stewart, for their full support. With this positive support, our state of the art facilities, and amazing improvements on campus, Old Dominion University women’s lacrosse will only reach new levels of national recognition.”
Holt played a major part in ODU's success during the 2009 season, developing goalkeeper Sarah Geary, who earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors and finished her career in 2012 as ODU’s all-time leader in saves. 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.
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 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.