Holt resigns after six years at UAPB

By Jeremy Muck/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

Van Holt has resigned as head coach of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff men’s basketball program, effective immediately.

During his six years as head coach at UAPB, Holt was 50-124 overall and 35-73 in SWAC play. Holt led UAPB to the SWAC Championship Game in 2006. He won a season-best 13 games twice (2005-2006 and 2007-2008). Holt had led the Golden Lions to three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournaments the last three seasons, but could never get UAPB into the NCAA Tournament.

“It has been a labor of love for me and I believe much has been accomplished,” said Holt, who was the head coach at Dumas and an assistant at UAPB prior to becomming the head coach, in his resignation letter. “I take great pride in the improvements in the program and had anticipated better results and a brighter future. I will continue to be a supporter of UAPB.”

UAPB athletic director Louis “Skip” Perkins was appreciative of Holt’s tenure at the Pine Bluff university.

“He’s a class act,” Perkins said. “(I’ve) never had a problem with a student athlete. Not a bad report. He ran a clean program. (He) stayed under budget. Total class act.”

UAPB was picked to finish second in the SWAC in the preseason poll in October. But the Golden Lions finished 8-10 in the SWAC after starting 5-2 in conference play, earning the No. 6 seed in the SWAC Tournament. UAPB ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak, losing to Texas Southern, Grambling State, Jackson State, and Mississippi Valley State.

The Golden Lions were eliminated by MVSU in the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament last week in Birmingham, Ala. UAPB was 13-18 in 2007-2008, a far cry from what was expected from a senior-laden squad. The fortunes of UAPB changed when starting point guard Terrance Calvin left the program right before the start of the SWAC season on Jan. 5. Holt said throughout the season that the lack of guard play hurt UAPB as he had to use several players out of position. The Golden Lions had five seniors on their roster this past season, William Byrd, Marcelle Goins, Jarvis Gunter, Tim Hamilton, and Larry Williams. Byrd was named to the SWAC’s first-team and averaged 12.3 points per game for UAPB in 2007-2008. Williams led the Golden Lions in scoring with 12.4 points per game.

Perkins said Tuesday afternoon that the search for Holt’s replacement has already begun. The first-year athletic director at UAPB added that “we’ll have someone in here within two weeks.” UAPB is the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the state of Arkansas. The rest of the 10-team SWAC features universities in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, each of whom has at least two schools in the conference.

“I’m looking for an individual with some coaching experience,” Perkins said. “Someone who knows the SWAC, who knows the state of Arkansas. The SWAC is different. You’ll have to take the money games at the start of the year.”

The Golden Lions will return one starter next year, forward George Davis, who will be a junior. Barring junior college transfers from the new coaching staff, UAPB will not have a senior on next year’s roster. Davis, Tyrees Glass, Cory Norman, and Allen Smith will be the program’s main upperclassmen next season as juniors.