Conor Holt enters the 2015-16 school year in his fifth year as Oklahoma City University head men’s and women’s cross country and track & field coach.
Collectively from 2012-15, the OCU teams have earned two national team championships, three individual national championships and 41 all-American awards in cross country and track & field. Academically, the teams have earned 20 NAIA scholar-athlete awards and the teams cumulative grade-point averages stand at 3.8 for the women and 3.3 for the men.
The 2014-15 school year was a banner season for the Stars. The men's cross country team repeated as national cross country champions and were ranked No. 1 the entire season – a feat only achieved by one other team in NAIA history. Five Stars received all-American honors and finished in the top 20 at the national meet. The team scored 55 points. The women's team qualified as a team for the second time and finished 15th in the NAIA Championships. Holt was honored as the 2014 NAIA coach of the year. The Stars also captured the Sooner Athletic Conference men's title, and Holt earned conference coach of the year honors.
The indoor track season saw the men's team finish 13th as a team at the NAIA Championships and earned five all-American awards. The women’s track team placed 33rd as a team and earned one all-American award.
The outdoor track season was highlighted by a second NAIA individual national championships for Arya Bahreini in the marathon. The men's team earned an 11th-place team finish at the NAIA Championships and five all-American nods. The women’s track team earned a 23rd-place team finish and received two all-American awards.
The 2013-14 school year was a memorable season for the OCU Stars. The men's cross country team captured its first national championship and ended the season ranked No. 1 nationally. Four Stars received all-American honors, finishing in the top 30 at the national meet. The women's team qualified for the first time as a team and finished 16th in the NAIA Championships. Holt was honored as the 2013 NAIA coach of the year. The Stars also captured the Sooner Athletic Conference men's title as Holt earned conference coach of the year.
The indoor track season saw the men's team finish seventh as a team at the NAIA Championships and earned eight all-American awards.
The outdoor track season was highlighted by NAIA individual national championships won by Csaba Matko in the 10,000 meters and Bahreini in the marathon. The men's team earned a fourth-place team finish at the NAIA Championships and received eight all-American nods.
Highlights of the 2012-13 season saw the OCU stars earn three all-American awards at the NAIA cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships. Additionally, Bahreini was selected to represent Team USA at the International NACAC Junior Cross Country competition.
Holt joined the Stars after four years at Purdue University, where he was the distance coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track program. At Purdue, Holt guided the Boilermakers to a wealth of improvements, including a pair of NCAA qualifiers, eight Regional Track and Field qualifiers, four Big Ten medal winners and 14 conference place winners.
Under Holt’s influence, Purdue accomplished a series of firsts and milestones. Caden Shields became the first Purdue male to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country 10K Championships (31 minutes, 13 seconds) since 1987. Stephen Bach placed in the Big Ten Championships three times under Holt, scoring in the 600-meter run twice indoors and once in the 800-meter run outdoors. He set the school record in the 600-meter run as a senior (1.18.36). Sarah Klaczynski ran 10.11.17 for 3k steeple, breaking the school record (an improvement of 50 seconds in one season) and qualified for the NCAA outdoor track championships.
Jacob Palmer (800m-1.49.69), Simon Rogers (1500m-3:46.41), Ladd Mercer (1500m-3:47.48), Alice Holmes ( 1500m-4:26.87) and Nan Hammel (800m-2:07.78) all made appearances in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship qualifying events over the last two seasons, vastly improving their times and placing on the Purdue all-time lists.
Prior to Purdue, Holt spent two years as the women’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Oregon State. Holt mentored Ashley Younce, (5K-16:47.23, 10K-35:31.23) who became the first NCAA West Regional Championship qualifier in Oregon State history.
Originally from Ireland, Holt was a 3,000-meter junior national champion and a two-time 5,000-meter junior national champ. A member of the Junior World Cross Country Team (1989-91), he participated at the Junior World Track and Field Championships in 1990 and represented his native country at the World University Games in 1993.
An accomplished distance runner at the University of Oklahoma, Holt was a six-time all-American in cross country and track at the NCAA Division I level. Holt held the school records in the indoor 5,000-meter run (1996-2011) and the outdoor 10,000-meter run (1992-2010). He garnered a trio of cross country All-American awards, placing sixth, seventh and 14th at the NCAA Championships. He earned three more national honors in track and field (indoor 5K and outdoor 10K) and took home the Big 8 Championship in the 10K in 1996. He earned his bachelor's degree in music education in 1996.
Holt became a U.S. citizen in 2002 and followed earning 2003 Oklahoma Runner of the Year accolades and ran 2:18.17 at the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials. He is a two-time winner and course record holder of the Oklahoma City Memorial marathon. Holt holds Level 1, Level 2 and level 3 USATF coaching certificates and is completing coursework to obtain his IAAF level 5 coaching certificate. Holt is active in the Oklahoma running community and is presently the coaching advisory chair for Oklahoma USATF.
Holt is married to volunteer assistant coach Camille Herron. Holt has coached his wife to the 2015 IAU 100k world championship and 20 marathon wins, including three wins and the course record at the OKC Memorial Marathon.
Read about Holt’s hiring at OCU here.
