Tom Holmoe

Moral & Ethical Leadership

Tom Holmoe was named Director of Athletics at Brigham Young University on March 1, 2005. He oversees a nationally recognized program with 21 intercollegiate sports, involving more than 600 student-athletes and a 190-person staff. Since his appointment, BYU has captured 120 conference regular-season and postseason championships, and more than 275 student-athletes have earned All-America status.

In addition to his role as director of athletics, Holmoe served as a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee from 2015-18 and was the Executive Council Committee Chair for the West Coast Conference from 2014-17. Over his 14-year tenure, BYU has an average ranking of 38th in the annual NACDA Learfield Directors’ Cup.

A former Cougar defensive back from 1978-82, Holmoe returned to BYU in July 2001 as Associate Athletics Director for Development. As part of his responsibilities, he supervised the Cougar Club, served as the department’s liaison with the LDS Foundation, served on the BYU Alumni Association Board of Directors and worked on the capital campaign to raise funds for the university’s new athletic facilities. In addition to his many roles at the university, Holmoe also served as the Executive Council Committee Chair for the West Coast Conference from 2014-17.

A native of La Crescenta, Calif., Holmoe first came to BYU on a football scholarship in 1978. He earned first-team All-WAC honors as a senior in 1982 and was selected in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Over a seven-year NFL career, he played on three Super Bowl championship teams with the 49ers in 1984, 1988 and 1989.

After retiring from professional football, Holmoe returned to BYU to serve as a graduate assistant under LaVell Edwards from 1990-91 and later accepted an offer from Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh to become the Stanford secondary coach in 1992, where he remained for two seasons. In 1994, he returned to the 49ers as defensive backfield coach for two seasons, where he earned a fourth Super Bowl ring. Two years later Holmoe joined the University of California staff as defensive coordinator and later became the head coach from 1997-2001.
Holmoe graduated from BYU with a degree in Zoology in 1983 and received a master's degree from BYU in Athletic Administration in 1995. He and his wife, Lori, have four children and seven grandchildren.