It was announced on Tuesday by Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez that Aaron Holley has been named the Head Baseball Coach/Assistant Director of Athletics for Game Management at the University of Redlands. Following an extensive national search, the Bulldogs hired Holley to step into the head-coaching role after serving as the program's assistant coach for seven of the last eight years.
Holley replaces Scott Laverty who had an overall head coaching record of 298-261-1 in 14 seasons, all at the University of Redlands. Laverty was 22-18 in 2013.
"It's exciting to be able to lead the ball club that I have been a part of for the last 13 years as a player and assistant coach," Holley stated. "This university has given me so much and it's a blessing to know that now I get to give back. This is a dream come true and I'm just excited to get started preparing our team for the upcoming season."
No stranger to the Bulldog baseball program, Holley played for Redlands as a four-year letter-winner under former head coach Scott Laverty. He compiled a .325 batting average to go along with 58 RBI, 16 doubles, eight triples, and 103 runs during his career. This versatile outfielder collected All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) First-Team honors as a senior.
Upon completion of his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Holley returned to the University of Redlands as an assistant coach for the 2006 season. By 2007, he took on the role of graduate assistant coach while pursuing his Master of Arts in Higher Education. He remained as a member of the Bulldog staff through the 2011 season, which culminated in the team's conference championship during the program's centennial campaign.
Following a one-year hiatus, Holley then returned to Redlands to coach baseball and work as a member of the athletic facilities staff.
While at Redlands, Holley has contributed to 189 wins as a coach and 68 more as a student-athlete.
During his time away from the Maroon and Gray, Holley garnered solid experience with the Lancers of Cal Baptist University, where he helped manage the travel finances, organized fundraising, recruited, and much more for the NCAA Division II program. In 2012, the Lancers posted a 43-13 record to go along with a PacWest Championship.
In addition, Holley served as the head coach of the Cheyenne Grizzlies for one summer, leading the team to the 2010 Mountain Collegiate Baseball League (MCBL) championship. The Grizzlies posted a 20-18 mark during the regular season and capped off the playoffs in dramatic fashion by defeating the Fort Collins Foxes by a score of 2-1 to capture Cheyenne's first championship.
Beyond his coaching responsibilities at Redlands, Holley also takes on the role of Assistant Director of Athletics for Game Management.
"Coach Holley was born and raised in Redlands, and has tremendous ties to our community," stated Martinez. "He shares our passion and vision to make the Bulldog student-athlete experience the best it can possibly be."
Holley immediately embarks upon his new position with the Bulldogs.