Sonny Holland, legend of Montana State football, dies at 84

BOZEMAN — Sonny Holland, who received nationwide championships in soccer at Montana State as each a participant and head coach and stays one of the crucial revered figures in MSU historical past, died Saturday in Bozeman. He was 84.

Montana State confirmed Holland’s loss of life to MTN Sports activities on Sunday previous to releasing an official announcement.

Referred to as “The Biggest Bobcat of Them All,” Holland was a Butte native who received a nationwide title with the Bobcats in 1956 as a middle and once more in 1976 as head coach. Holland led the MSU soccer program from 1971-77, profitable a pair of Huge Sky Convention championships in that span.

Holland’s jersey No. 52 is retired by the Bobcats. He was inducted into MSU’s athletic corridor of fame with its inaugural class in 1986, and can also be a member of the Montana Soccer Corridor of Fame and the Butte Sports activities Corridor of Fame.

Following the announcement of Holland’s loss of life, tributes poured in.

“What an unimaginable honor for me and my household to get to know Sonny Holland,” Bobcats athletic director Leon Costello posted to Twitter. “He was a daily in my suite on gamedays and I’m nonetheless in awe of how all Bobcat followers, younger and previous, revered and admired him. I’ll miss our conversations and hand shakes however will all the time keep in mind his sincerity. To the Biggest Bobcat of all-time, thanks. You set the usual and will probably be tremendously missed.

“An absolute legend in each approach,” present MSU coach Brent Vigen tweeted. “Coach Holland personified what our gamers & our coaches try to be. The Biggest Bobcat — his legacy will final eternally!”

“Relaxation in peace Sonny Holland,” tweeted Bobcats large receiver Willie Patterson. “Was a pleasure assembly you and your influence on bobcat soccer will FOREVER be remembered.”

Allyn “Sonny” Holland was born on March 22, 1938 in Butte and went on to graduate from Butte Excessive Faculty. He performed heart at Montana State from 1956-59, and helped the Bobcats go 9-0-1 and declare the NAIA soccer championship as a freshman in 1956 by tying Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) 0-0 in horrible subject circumstances on the Aluminum Bowl in Little Rock, Arkansas.

After his taking part in profession, Holland went on to be an assistant coach at Bozeman Excessive Faculty in 1961, then coached at MSU from 1962-64 beneath Herb Agocs, first as an assistant offensive line coach earlier than turning into the full-time line coach in 1963. He then was the primary head soccer coach at Charles M. Russell Excessive Faculty in Nice Falls, serving there from 1965-67.

Holland returned to the school ranks as an assistant beneath one other Bobcat, Jim Sweeney, at Washington State the next 12 months in 1968. That was earlier than taking the pinnacle teaching job at Western Montana School (now Montana Western) in Dillon for one season in 1969, the place he received Frontier Convention coach of the 12 months honors.

In 1970 Holland returned to the Bobcats as defensive position coach beneath Tom Parac prior taking on as head coach in 1971 as Parac’s hand-picked substitute (Parac ascended to the position of athletic director in 1971).

Holland presided over one of the crucial profitable eras of MSU soccer, because the group received league titles in 1972 and 1976.

In 1976, Holland coached MSU to a 12-1 document, a Huge Sky title and a 24-13 victory over Akron within the NCAA Division II championship recreation in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Holland’s head teaching document at Montana State was 47-24-1. He went 7-0 in his one season at Western, giving him a 54-24-1 profession document as a head coach, a profitable share of .684.

Holland, identified to his gamers as “Chief,” went 6-1 in opposition to rival Montana as head coach of the Bobcats. In keeping with MSU, from the day Holland arrived at Montana State as a freshman till the second of his retirement, the Bobcats received 17 of twenty-two video games in opposition to the Grizzlies.

Holland was a part of two of Montana State’s three nationwide championships. The Bobcats are the one school soccer program two win titles at three totally different ranges — NAIA in 1956, NCAA Division II in 1976 and NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) in 1984.

In 2011, the south finish zone of Bobcat Stadium was bowled in so as to add a number of thousand seats, an space christened because the “Sonny Holland Zone.” In 2016, a nine-foot bronze statue of Holland was unveiled outdoors Bobcat Stadium as a tribute.

In keeping with MSU’s press launch, Holland grew to become Montana State’s first three-time All-America soccer participant as a middle. The Bobcats completed with a cumulative 31-6-1 document throughout Holland’s time as a participant.

After stepping down as coach following the 1977 season, he later served as the college’s alumni director from 1978-92 and was additionally a particular advisor to the college president.

For years after his retirement, Holland was a daily at MSU athletic features, remaining a venerable member of the Bobcat household.

Holland was preceded in loss of life by Deanna, his spouse of fifty years. He’s survived by daughters Wendy (Gator) Rivers, Heidi (Eric) Vinje, and Jody (Tyler) Delaney, in addition to quite a few grandchildren and nice grandchildren.