Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There have been times when Mike Holloway prayed and hoped for a phone call about a job opening or fresh opportunity. Holloway's coaching career began at the bottom and included various side jobs to keep the dream alive.

The Holloway of yesteryear, the Ohio transplant who started out as an assistant coach at Gainesville High 35 years ago and at one time managed a fast-food restaurant to support himself and a young daughter, never imagined a long-term contract.

"I remember when I didn't have anything,'' Holloway said. "I remember when I didn't know how I was going to pay my bills. It's just been an incredible journey and I've been incredibly blessed."

Holloway's distinguished career as the head coach of the University of Florida's track program reached another milestone this week when the 58-year-old Holloway signed a 10-year contract extension that runs through June 30, 2028.

In the wake of an eighth national championship for the men's program at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, and the UF men and women sweeping the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships earlier this month for the first time in school history, Holloway's future became a topic of conversation in the track and field community.

The man they call "Mouse" had heard from potential suitors before but never seriously considered leaving the place he calls home and the program he has built into a national powerhouse. Still, some wondered heading into this week's NCAA East Region preliminaries in Tampa if Holloway might be available.
 

In recent conversations, Holloway and Athletic Director Scott Stricklin sought to end any speculation about Holloway's future and agreed upon the lengthy contract extension. Holloway has been at UF since 1996 when he was hired as a men's assistant coach. He took over the men's program in 2003 and added the women's team in 2008.

The Gators have enjoyed an unprecedented run of success during Holloway's tenure.

Holloway has led the Gators to eight national titles and 14 SEC championships, in addition to 60 individual national titles, 159 individual SEC titles and six collegiate records (three still stand). Florida's eight NCAA titles on the men's side lead all Division I programs by three since 2010 when the Gators broke through on the national stage under Holloway.

The UF men's team has been remarkably consistent at the NCAA Championships. In the 31 championship meets under Holloway, Florida's men boast 20 top-2 finishes, while no other program claims more than nine during that span. The UF men's team is seeking a third consecutive outdoor national title, while the women's team is chasing its seventh top-4 finish outdoor finish since 2008, something only six other programs in the country can claim over that span.

"Mouse is unique because he's from here and kind of came up from the ranks, if you will. He has a remarkable story,'' Stricklin said. "Part of it is his commitment to this place as much as the school's commitment to him. This is where he wants to be and when a guy like Mouse Holloway says he wants to finish his career here, you don't have to be a very smart athletic director to go, 'well, let's figure out a way to make that happen.' "

Holloway is grateful for the opportunity that he hopes allows him to finish his career at UF.

"This time of year, with jobs opening, there's always people calling with interest,'' Holloway said. "It's nice to be courted, it's nice to be wanted I guess, but at the end of the day, the trigger for me was when Scott said to me, 'I want to make you my track and field coach. I want you to be here as long as I'm here and as long as you want to be here.' That was big for me.

"I think anybody who knows me knows that I love this place. I'm just so thankful to everybody around me that's worked so hard along with me to get us where we are. When we took over, Florida was the sleeping giant. Well, the giant is alive and awake and my job is to keep it awake and not let it fall asleep again."

Holloway grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Florida after high school. He attended Santa Fe College and then served as an assistant coach at Gainesville High and later spent 10 years as head coach Buchholz High. To further his career, Holloway returned to the classroom in his mid-30s to earn his bachelor's degree from UF.

He took over the men's program three years later.

Stricklin didn't know Holloway personally before replacing former UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley in November 2016. He quickly understood why Holloway is so successful.

"Mouse has so much substance to him," Stricklin said. "Everything is what you see is what you get. He talks about being blue collar, but he is. He's a hard-working guy. Like all great coaches, he doesn't get distracted by things that don't matter. He focuses on his athletes, on his staff, and on making the Gators as good as we can be."

Holloway said that is how he was raised. Soon after he arrived in his office earlier this week, Holloway was asked what still drives him at this point in his career.

He took the conversation back to his days working in a McDonald's growing up in Ohio.

"I was complaining,'' he said. "I remember my dad telling me you need to find another job and go do that one, but as long as you are getting paid, you show up every day and you do your job. You go to work every day, you give 100 percent, no questions asked."