Rod Holder joined the RMU football staff on January 19, 2018 and serves as associate head coach while tutoring the offensive line.
Holder has played a significant role in molding the Colonials that make up the offensive line both on the field and off, coaching eight all-conference lineman a total of nine times, most recently Luke Betavski who was named First Team All-NEC and selected to Phil Steele's All-NEC First Team while anchoring the offensive line. In his second season with the Colonials in 2019, Holder had a pair of offensive lineman earn All-NEC honors, as Trevor Hicks and Bussy Remaley each were named to the All-NEC Second Team. The duo blocked for running back Alijah Jackson, who was named to the 2019 All-NEC First Team after finishing second in the NEC in rushing (88.3 yards per game) and third in all-purpose yards (103.5 ypg).
Prior to RMU, Holder was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator at Millersville for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Before Millersville, he was the offensive line coach and assistant head coach at Norfolk State (2006-15). Holder also coached the offensive line at Rutgers (2004-05) and Western Illinois (2002-04).
Holder made stops as the graduate assistant at Illinois, served as the running backs coach at Bentley and as a graduate assistant offensive line coach at his alma mater in 2001-02, winning a national championship with the 2001 team. He also coached a season with the Chicago Enforcers of the XFL and spent the early years of his career coaching the offensive line in three Miami high schools.
Holder earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Miami in 1990 as well as a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1999.
During his collegiate career, Holder made over 20 starts on the offensive line and helped lead the Hurricanes to national championships in both 1987 and 1989 under coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, respectively. During his time at Miami, the Hurricanes compiled an overall record of 44-3 (.936) and recorded three bowl wins, including two in the Orange Bowl and one in the Sugar Bowl.
Holder also earned a national championship ring with Miami as an assistant coach in 2001, helping lead the Hurricanes to a perfect 11-0 record with a 37-14 win over Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl.
