Stu Holt - Football Coach - University of Louisville Athletic

Stu Holt

Title:
Asst. Coach/Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator
Email:
stu@GoCards.com

Stu Holt, a 25-year coaching veteran and one of the top special teams coaches in the nation, was hired as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Louisville in December of 2018.

In two seasons, Holt has seen a marked improvement at the tight end position and in all aspects of special teams play.

The tights ends have produced a combined 17 touchdowns over the first two year, with Marshon Ford recording 45 receptions and 13 touchdowns over that span. In 2019, Ford led the ACC tight ends in receiving tight ends with seven and was second in the league in 2020 with six.

In 2020, Holt instructed former walk-on placekicker James Turner to one of the best seasons by a kicker. The sophomore was 13-of-15 on field goal attempts to earn all-ACC honorable mention accolades.
The 2019 season — Holt’s first in Louisville — saw consistency and development as the special teams units ranked in the top-25 in kickoff returns and punt returns. The Cardinals finished fifth nationally in kickoff returns at 27.4 yards a return.
Before joining the Louisville staff, Holt spent four seasons coaching the running backs and serving as the special teams coordinator at Appalachian State, guiding the Mountaineers to three consecutive conference championships and four bowl appearances.
Holt’s running backs eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in four consecutive seasons, including Darrynton Evans, who ranked in the top-20 nationally with 1,187 yards and averaged better than 6.6 yards per carry in guiding the Mountaineers to an 11-2 mark and their third straight Sun Belt title. Evans earned first team all-Sun Belt and third team all-purpose in 2018.
The Mountaineers recorded 10 100-yard running games and averaged 240.3 yards on the ground, tallying 10 games of 200 or more yards on the ground.
Serving as the special teams coordinator in 2018, Appalachian State tallied four touchdowns on kick and punt returns, tying for the national lead with three scores on punt returns. The Mountaineers ranked second nationally in kickoff returns, averaging 28.8 yards per return, and were fourth in blocked kicks with six. The Mountaineers also ranked in the top 20 nationally in net punting, punt return defense and punt returns.
In 2017 behind 1,037 rushing yards from running back Jalin Moore, the Mountaineers led the Sun Belt in rushing and ranked 22nd in the country by totaling an average of 223.6 yards per game – rushing for over 300 yards in each of their last three games, including 327 yards in the bowl win over Toledo.
In 2016, Holt mentored the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in Moore and the program’s all-time leading rusher in Marcus Cox, who rushed for over 5,000 yards for his career. Moore and Cox combined to be one of the most productive tandems in all of college football, as they formed one of only three duos to average over 100 yards per game apiece during the 2016 season. App State was No. 10 nationally in rushing yards per game at 250.9 and led the Sun Belt in the category for the second consecutive year.
In Holt’s initial season, the Mountaineers were led by Cox, who continued his record-setting career by finishing with 1,418 yards – good for 17th in the nation and third in the Sun Belt. Cox again topped national and conference rankings with 118.6 yards per game (13th national; 3rd Sun Belt) and all-purpose yards (132.2 yards per game), ranking second in the Sun Belt and 20th in the nation.
With Holt overseeing the ground game, Appalachian State finished No. 6 in the nation and second in the Sun Belt with 271.5 yards of rushing offense. The Mountaineers led the Sun Belt Conference in total offensive yards with 466.2 yards per game, good also for 20th nationally.
Holt made an immediate impact on the Appalachian State special teams, improving from 128th to 25th in efficiency from 2014 to 2015. Kicker Zach Matics was named first team All-Sun Belt after going 14-of-17 on field goals and drilling the game-winner as time expired to win the Camellia Bowl.
Holt came to Appalachian State after two seasons at South Florida, where he served as the Bulls’ tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. He arrived at USF as director of player personnel in 2013 before taking over as special teams coordinator prior to the 2013 campaign. He added oversight of the Bulls’ tight ends to his duties in 2014.
In 2013, Holt was nominated for the Broyles Award (National Assistant Coach of the Year) after USF’s special teams improved in nearly every statistical category despite the loss of its key performers.
Under Holt’s tutelage, USF’s special teams were ranked No. 3 nationally by ESPN Stats & Info. The Bulls led the American Athletic Conference and ranked No. 9 nationally in punt returns (14.44-yard average) and first-year place kicker Marvin Kloss was one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award (national kicker of the year).
Before going to USF, Holt spent eight of the previous nine seasons at Western Kentucky, first as running backs coach (2004-09) before coaching the tackles/tight ends (2011-12). He also coordinated the Hilltoppers’ special teams in 2005 and 2009 before one season at Tennessee State (2010), coaching the running backs.
In those seven seasons as a running backs coach, Holt has produced impressive ground attacks and individual rushers. His units ranked among the NCAA Division I FCS top 25 in rushing twice — 14th at WKU in 2004 (226.2 ypg) and 24th at Tennessee State in 2010 (190.0 ypg). Additionally, he coached two 1,000-yard rushers at WKU (Lerron Moore and Tyrell Hayden).
Over the course of his career, Holt has coached 11 student-athletes that have gone on to play in the National Football League — Brian Claybourn, Jack Doyle, Mitchell Henry and Bobby Rainey at WKU, Ciabatti, Sean Price (TE), Kloss and Mike McFarland at USF, Wake Forest All-American Steve Justice at New Smyrna Beach H.S, and Marcus Cox at Appalachian State.