BYU Athletics: Unforgettable Moments in the Tom Holmoe Era<\/p>\n
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PROVO, Utah \u2013 The Tom Holmoe era has been marked by numerous highlights in BYU athletics.<\/p>\n
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After serving as BYU\u2019s athletic director for 20 years, Holmoe announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2024-25 athletic year.<\/p>\n
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Here\u2019s a look back at some of the most memorable moments during Holmoe\u2019s time as BYU\u2019s athletic director.<\/p>\n
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March 1, 2005: Tom Holmoe Named Athletic Director<\/p>\n
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Following four years as an associate athletic director of Development, Tom Holmoe was promoted to BYU\u2019s athletic director. For the first time, both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s athletic programs were under a single director.<\/p>\n
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April 2005: Dave Rose Becomes Men\u2019s Basketball Head Coach<\/p>\n
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When Steve Cleveland left for the head coaching job at Fresno State, BYU promoted assistant coach Dave Rose to lead the men\u2019s basketball team.<\/p>\n
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Rose served as head coach from 2005 to 2019, compiling a 348-135 record.<\/p>\n
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2006: BYU Football Wins First MWC Title Under Mendenhall<\/p>\n
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BYU football secured a Mountain West Conference championship for the first time in five years, marking Bronco Mendenhall\u2019s first title as head coach.<\/p>\n
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2007: BYU Football\u2019s Last Conference Championship<\/p>\n
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BYU won back-to-back Mountain West Conference titles in 2007, the program\u2019s last conference championship to date.<\/p>\n
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September 1, 2010: BYU Declares Football Independence, Joins WCC<\/p>\n
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BYU athletics chose an independent path, declaring football independence after being excluded from Pac-12 and Big 12 expansion.<\/p>\n
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Originally planning to place its Olympic sports in the WAC, BYU instead joined the West Coast Conference after the MWC poached several WAC members.<\/p>\n
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March 2011: BYU Basketball Reaches Sweet 16<\/p>\n
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Jimmer Fredette, the nation\u2019s best player, led BYU men\u2019s basketball to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1981, despite the absence of star Brandon Davies.<\/p>\n
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2014: BYU Women\u2019s Volleyball Plays for National Title<\/p>\n
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Led by All-American Jennifer Hamson, BYU women\u2019s volleyball advanced to the National Championship Game, falling to Penn State in the final.<\/p>\n
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December 4, 2015: Bronco Mendenhall Departs for Virginia<\/p>\n
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After 11 seasons as BYU football\u2019s head coach, Bronco Mendenhall accepted the same role at the University of Virginia. He left with 99 wins and two conference titles.<\/p>\n
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December 19, 2015: Kalani Sitake Hired as BYU Football Coach<\/p>\n
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Following a Las Vegas Bowl loss to Utah, BYU introduced former Cougar fullback Kalani Sitake as its new head coach.<\/p>\n
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Summer 2016: Big 12 Considers Expansion<\/p>\n
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Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Oklahoma President David Boren announced expansion discussions, allowing BYU to present its case to league administrators.<\/p>\n
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Though expansion was ultimately postponed, BYU\u2019s presentation proved valuable when the Big 12 later needed new members.<\/p>\n
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December 2016: Marriott Center Annex Opens<\/p>\n
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BYU completed construction of the Marriott Center Annex, fulfilling coach Dave Rose\u2019s vision for a dedicated basketball practice facility.<\/p>\n
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April 2017: NCAA Office of Inclusion Visits BYU<\/p>\n
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Amy Wilson from the NCAA\u2019s Office of Inclusion visited BYU to encourage discussions on diversity and inclusion.<\/p>\n
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2019: Dave Rose Retires \/ Mark Pope Named Head Coach<\/p>\n
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After 14 seasons, Dave Rose retired as BYU\u2019s men\u2019s basketball coach. BYU replaced him with Utah Valley head coach Mark Pope.<\/p>\n
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2019: Men\u2019s Cross Country Wins National Title<\/p>\n
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BYU men\u2019s cross country defeated rival Northern Arizona to claim the 2019 NCAA National Championship.<\/p>\n
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2020: BYU Football\u2019s 11-1 Season Amidst COVID-19<\/p>\n
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A global pandemic disrupted college football, but BYU, as an independent, remained committed to playing.<\/p>\n
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Despite cancellations from scheduled opponents, Tom Holmoe assembled a 12-game season. The Cougars dominated most matchups, finishing 11-1.<\/p>\n
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Due to a weak schedule, the College Football Playoff committee overlooked BYU for a major bowl. In a last-minute decision, BYU scheduled a game against Coastal Carolina just 72 hours before kickoff, suffering its only loss.<\/p>\n
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The season remains one of BYU football\u2019s most memorable.<\/p>\n
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September 10, 2021: BYU Invited to the Big 12<\/p>\n
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Texas and Oklahoma stunned college athletics by announcing their move to the SEC, forcing the Big 12 to expand.<\/p>\n
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BYU was one of four schools invited to join, alongside UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston.<\/p>\n
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2021: BYU Women\u2019s Soccer Reaches College Cup Final<\/p>\n
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BYU women\u2019s soccer advanced to its first-ever College Cup, reaching the National Championship Game before falling to Florida State on penalty kicks.<\/p>\n
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2023-2024: First Year in the Big 12<\/p>\n
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On July 1, 2023, BYU officially entered the Big 12 Conference. The milestone was celebrated with a midnight event, a fan fest, and various activities.<\/p>\n
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April 2024: Kevin Young Hired as BYU Basketball Coach<\/p>\n
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Following Mark Pope\u2019s departure to Kentucky, BYU quickly hired Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young to lead the men\u2019s basketball team.<\/p>\n
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2024: BYU Sweeps Cross Country National Titles<\/p>\n
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In November, BYU men\u2019s and women\u2019s outdoor cross country teams both won NCAA National Championships.<\/p>\n
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December 2024: Kalani Sitake Signs Long-Term Deal<\/p>\n
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BYU football secured stability by signing head coach Kalani Sitake to a long-term contract extension, ensuring his leadership well into the Big 12 era.<\/p>\n
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February 11, 2025: Tom Holmoe Announces Retirement<\/p>\n
After two decades as BYU\u2019s athletic director, Tom Holmoe revealed he would retire at the end of the 2024-25 athletic year.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BYU Athletics: Unforgettable Moments in the Tom Holmoe Era PROVO, Utah \u2013 The Tom Holmoe era has been marked by numerous highlights in BYU athletics. After serving as BYU\u2019s athletic director for 20 years, Holmoe announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2024-25 athletic year. Here\u2019s a look back at some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1869],"tags":[2675],"class_list":["post-25256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-byu","tag-tom-holmoe"],"yoast_head":"\n