Basketball fans are mourning the loss of former Head Men's Basketball Coach Larry Holley, who passed away unexpectedly Thursday, May 11 at the age of 76.

“I am at a loss for words,” said Director Athletics and former Head Men's Basketball Coach, Jeff Sherman. “The basketball community has lost a true legend with the passing of Hall of Famer, Coach Larry Holley. While his honors and accolades are second to none, his kindness and caring personality are what many will never forget.”

Holley, who was a staple in NAIA Basketball for more than 40 years, coached at Central Methodist from 1970-75. During his time leading the Eagles, he compiled 61 total wins.

Following brief stints at Jameson High School and Northwest Missouri State University, Holley returned to his alma mater, William Jewell College, a Heart and NAIA institution where he coached from 1979-2019. While with the Cardinals, he amassed 831 total wins, bringing his career total to 918.

His 918 wins rank 10th in history for all of college basketball, just ahead of Bob Huggins, Roy Williams and Bob Knight.

While at Jewell, Holley coached 24 NAIA All-Americans including six first-team selections and one NAIA-II National Player of the Year. Twenty-six of his players were named NAIA Academic All-Americans. In addition, 149-of-155 of his four-year players at William Jewell graduated. During their time in the NAIA, his teams were consistently ranked in the top-25 national polls, including No. 1 rankings in both 1996 and 2004, and earning the No. 1 seed in the national tournament in 2004.

Upon his retirement from coaching in 2019, Holley was still actively involved with William Jewell, serving as chair of the Hall Fame Committee, the Alumni Board of Governors, and attending nearly every basketball game. He was also a 2009 William Jewell Citation of Achievement recipient. 

Throughout his legendary career, he received 15 Coach of the Year awards, including the first NAIA coach to receive the prestigious Sears/NABC NAIA National Coach of the Year Award in 1996. Holley was also selected to five Halls of Fames, including; The Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the William Jewell College Athletic Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

As a 1967 Jewell graduate, Holley lettered four times in each of three sports (cross country, basketball, and track). He was captain of each sport and capped his career by being named Jewell's Athlete of the Year as a senior. He scored 1,122 points in his basketball career and was an All-Conference and All-District selection as a senior.

Sherman added, "Our family loves this man deeply along with the many former players, coaches, friends, and family of CMU, Northwest Missouri State, and William Jewell College where he spent his Hall of Fame career coaching and touching countless lives in the process. We will miss you, Coach Holley."

Holley is survived by his wife Linda, three daughters Lindsay, Lauren, and Lacey with late wife Anne, in addition to multiple grandchildren and other family members.

Funeral arrangements are forthcoming, and the Holley family has requested privacy during this time.