I‘m an ardent Tom Holmoe supporter and I recently had the opportunity to meet this man I have admired from afar for so many years.
Through a mutual acquaintance, I was able to shake Holmoe’s hand before tipoff at the Marriott Center before the Cougars' impressive January 25th 80-52 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats. He was cordial, gracious, and witty. He made a quip about my height (I’m 6-foot-6) and a quick, funny joke about his recent interaction with our mutual friend.
Then I was able to look Tom Holmoe directly in the eyes and directly tell him what I’ve wanted to express for years:
“Tom, thank you for everything you’ve done for BYU sports. I love where the programs are at and where they are going.”
It was a brief but sincere interaction, and in light of the announcement of Holmoe’s pending retirement, a timely one. And I'm glad I was able to express sincere appreciation for his leadership because I, like many of you, was among those who were frustrated for years with football independence and life in the WCC.
With regards to Holmoe's position at BYU, he announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2024-25 academic year after 20 years guiding BYU sports. His legacy is secure after piloting Brigham Young into the Big 12 and his transformational impact will endure for generations. I’m on the record that if BYU were to carve its own version of Mount Rushmore into the side of Y Mountain, Holmoe’s face deserves to be immortalized in one of those coveted spots.
Plenty of articles have already been written about Holmoe’s distinctive career, so instead of going that route, I’ll simply share my personal story of how I went from being highly frustrated at times with Holmoe’s vision and his leadership to now placing him on such a high pedestal.
My past frustration with football independence and the WCC
What sets Tom Holmoe apart -- and above -- fans like me was that from the time he was hired in 2005, BYU’s AD had a long-term vision for getting BYU into a power conference. He was visionary, resolute, and strategic in getting BYU where it is today among the elite of college sports.
But the lengthy, arduous process of getting BYU into the Big 12 filled me with temporary frustration toward Holmoe and other influential leaders of this university that I love, graduated from, and passionately support.
The “wandering in the wilderness” years under Holmoe’s watch was a brutal slog. As a fan I was often exasperated and discouraged for an 11-year stretch starting in 2010 when BYU football went independent and other sports joined the WCC, until the Big 12 announcement in September 2021. During this time my passion for BYU sports started to wane. Football seasons were derailed with one loss and became virtually pointless after a second. Playing basketball against the likes of San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Portland was downright boring, especially with the lack of any conference championships.
After BYU’s brief and unsuccessful with flirtations with both the Pac-12 and Big 12 at different times during independence, I was ready waive the white flag and advocate for just rejoining the Mountain West or any other mid-tier conference that would take us.
As a frustrated fan for over a decade I reasoned that being the big dog in a second-rate conference is better than mostly lingering in the shadow of irrelevance that cloaked the independence/WCC setup.
I just wanted it to end, which is short-term, tactical thinking.
Fortunately, Tom Holmoe played the long, strategic game.
My gratitude for Tom Holmoe
Tom Holmoe took a lot of heat during the football independence years from frustrated fans like me.
He never wavered.
Holmoe bore the brunt of second-guessing from short-term thinkers like who just wanted BYU football to be in a conference - any conference! - so that the games actually mattered again.
He never wavered.
Holmoe was rebuffed by both the PAC-12 and Big 12 who at different times and for different reasons weren’t buying what BYU was selling.
He never wavered.
Because of Tom Holmoe’s long-term vision, personal courage, and resolute belief in the school and he represented, BYU is now thriving as a Power Four member. The present for BYU sports is about as bright as it has ever been, and the future looks even brighter. Much of the praise for this incredibly awesome reality falls squarely on Tom Holmoe. So, once again:
“Tom, thank you for everything you’ve done for BYU sports. I love where the programs are at and where they are going.”