A familiar face returns to the “Purple & White” as Eric Holm rejoins his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach for the running backs. Coach Holm spent 17 years in the Bulldog Football program as a player, student-coach, offensive coordinator and head coach from 1990-94.
He was inducted into the Truman State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.
As a student-athlete, Holm was a first-team all-MIAA receiver his senior year, and was an honorable mention pick as a junior. In his final season in 1980, he was named second-team Associated Press Little-America and was a unanimous choice for first-team all-MIAA honors. He also culminated his career by being named team MVP and captain.
After his playing days, he became a graduate assistant and later a part-time coach for the team from 1981-84, also working in the admissions office at Truman in 1981. Holm became a full-time assistant for the Bulldogs in 1984, and served as the team's receiver and quarterback coach in 1985 when the 'Dogs led NCAA Division II in total offense and passing offense. That year, the team also broke or tied 24 school and MIAA records and set nine DII marks. He was Truman's offensive coordinator from 1986-88 and helped the 'Dogs win the MIAA title in 1988, before being named to the same position at Eastern Illinois in 1989.
During his only season at EIU, Holm helped guide the team to the second round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. In 1990, he returned to Kirksville as the Bulldogs' 18th head coach. Over the next five years, Holm led Truman to a 37-19 record, tying with Jack Ball for the fifth-most wins by a Bulldog football head coach. In his first year, Truman went 9-1 in the regular season and advanced to the NCAA playoffs before being knocked out by MIAA foe and eventual DII semi-finalist, Pittsburg State. His 1992 team also won nine contests (9-3) and the 1994 contingent was 8-3. Both of those squads earned NCAA bids as well. All total, Holm's teams made three of the school's five postseason appearances.
He left Truman in 1995 to take the head coaching job at Northern Michigan University where he spent seven years and posted an overall record of 43-31. Holm coached three quarterbacks at Truman that were named the league MVP, and another while at Northern Michigan. One of those QBs, Chris Hegg, became a national player of the year after setting numerous NCAA Division II records as a Bulldog.
Holm graduated from Truman in 1981 with a B.S. in Physical Education/Health and a masters in Sports Administration in 1987. An Independence, Mo., native, he was an all-district football player at Truman High School, where he also participated in baseball and basketball. He served 15 years at the Truman HS Athletic/Activities Director before retiring in 2019.
