Will Holt - Field Hockey Coach - University of Louisville Athletic

Will Holt

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
will@GoCards.com
Phone:
852-7795

Will Holt recently completed third season as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville after joining Justine Sowry’s staff in August 2022.

During his time with the Cardinals, Holt helped guide the Cardinals to 32 wins along with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. Louisville has also been ranked among the top 10 and reached as high as fourth in the nation in each of Holt’s seasons. Additionally, UofL has produced five NFHCA All-Americans and 12 All-West Region selections with Holt on the coaching staff.

Most recently in a rebuilding year, following the loss of seven seniors due to graduation, Louisville tallied a 6-11 overall record in 2024. Aimee Plumb earned her third NFHCA All-America honor and was selected to the NFHCA All-West Region team along with Izzy Bianco.

Most recently, the 2023 squad posted a 15-7 overall record and a 3-3 mark in ACC play, reaching the semifinals of the conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. In 2022, the Cardinals finished the season with a 12-8 overall record and an NCAA tournament bid

Holt joined Sowry's coaching staff prior to the 2022 campaign after serving as an assistant coach at Indiana University for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He returned to his alma mater where he spent four seasons volunteer coach from 2012-15 while earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

While at Indiana, Holt helped guide the 2021 Hoosiers to 10 wins including seven shutout victories, two ranked victories and a Big Ten Tournament appearance. After the season, Kira Curland was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Tournament Team and NFHCA West Region Second Team.

A member of the U.S. Men’s National Field Hockey Team since 2008, Holt has also built an impressive resume as a player and a coach within the USA Field Hockey organization. As a player, he has tallied 85 goals in 146 international appearances.

During his playing career with the USMNT, Holt has competed in several international tournaments, helping Team USA to gold medals in the 2018 Hockey Series Open in Salamanca, Mexico as well as the World League Round 1 in 2012 (Chula Vista, Calif.) and 2016 (Salamanca). Other notable competitions include the 2019 FIH Series Finals and the World Hockey League Round 2 in 2013 and 2015. He also played in the Pan American Games (2011, 2015, 2019) as well as the Pan American Cup (2009, 2017). Holt served as team captain for the USMNT from 2014-17.

He also contributed to USA Field Hockey as a coach, starting as an assistant for the U21 men’s team (2016-19) and the U16 squad (2016-18). Holt went on to become head coach of the U18 team in 2016, remaining in that role until 2019. He recently earned his USA Field Hockey Level 3 certification, the highest-level certification that USA Field Hockey offers and is eligible for FIH accreditation.

In 2023, Holt was tabbed as an assistant coach for the USA Field Hockey5s Men’s national team and helped guide the USA to the inaugural Hockey5s Pan American Cups (PAC) title and qualifying for the 2024 World Cup.

In addition to his coaching duties, Holt has served on the USA Field Hockey Judicial Committee since April 2017. He also spent two terms as a member of the Athlete Advisory Council (AAC) - the liaison to the United States Olympic Committee and USFHA Board of Directors for USA Field Hockey athletes.

Holt began coaching in Europe in 2010 as the head coach for the Royal Oreé T.H.B U16 Boys Team in Brussels, Belgium. Following his first stint at Louisville, he returned to Belgium in 2016 and resumed his coaching career at the helm of the Royal Pengouins HC U16 Boys Team and assistant coach for the U18 Boys Team. Holt spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in the Netherlands coaching the U16 Boys Team at V.M.H.C. Cartouche and the U14 Girls Team with NMHC Nijmegen.

He honed his playing resume for seven seasons, competing in top European club teams spanning the Netherlands, Germany and England. Holt has played for VMHC Cartouche (2009, 2018-19), Royal Oreé T.H.B (2010), Royal Pingouins HC (2016), Southgate FC (2017), HC Ludwigsburg (2018), and most recently NMHC Nijmegen in 2019.

The Camarillo, California native earned his bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance (Exercise Science) from the University of Louisville in 2013. He went on to complete his master’s degree in Athletic Administration in 2016.