Bio

Began: 1989 | Season: 2024 is his 36th season
Overall record at Milligan entering 2023 season: 979-597

Coach Wes Holly begins his 36th year at Milligan, his first year at the helm being 1989. One of the winningest coaches in NAIA history, Holly ranks second overall in wins among active NAIA coaches.

Holly recorded his prestigious 900th win over Appalachian Athletic Conference member, Columbia College, on March 8, 2020. His 800th career win came against Hiwassee College on March 21, 2015, and Holly's 700th career coaching win came against Union College in 2011. He's a nine-time TVAC and AAC Coach of the Year and two-time NAIA District Coach of the Year. In addition, Holly has been named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year and Region I Coaching Staff of the Year alongside his son, Wes Holly Jr.

In June 2014, Holly and his daughter, Kim, were in a class of 20 inducted into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame.

Under Holly, Milligan's softball program is considered among the elite in the conference, ranking in the top three 23 of the past 34 years. Holly's teams have won nine conference titles and advanced to 16 District/Regional Tournaments during Milligan's 33 years of fast pitch softball. In recent memory, Holly led the Buffs to three national championship appearances in the past six seasons with postseason play (2016, 2017, 2021).

In 2021, Milligan reached the NAIA World Series for the first time in program history after sweeping the Lawrenceville bracket in the NAIA Opening Round. The Buffs finished the 2021 season as the No. 18 team in the nation in the final NAIA Top 25 poll. Sophomore outfielder Katie Cronin collected First Team All-America honors from the NAIA after leading the nation with a .519 average.

Coach Holly played ASA Major Open Men's fast pitch for 23 years having played on winning teams in Tennessee, Virginia, South Atlantic Regionals and the ASA Men's Major Open Nationals in Clearwater, Florida. Holly is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

Holly started his collegiate coaching career at Tusculum College from 1983-87 as an assistant coach while Kim played and pitched for Tusculum. Tusculum advanced to the NAIA National Championship two times, '84-'85, while Kim anchored the pitching staff.

Coach Holly is widely known in the area as he conducts several fast pitch clinics and also does personal instructions in all fundamentals of fast pitch, particularly the skills of pitching.

Coach Holly lives in the Johnson City area and has three grown children: Kim, Wes Jr., and Robbie. Wes Jr. currently works with Holly (Sr.) as an assistant coach.