Jonathan Holmes was promoted to associate head coach in 2013 and completed his sixth season at the position and 11th overall on the Tribe staff. During his time with the Green and Gold, W&M produced four of the program’s nine all-time 20-win seasons, advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship game on three occasions and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) twice. In 2015, the Tribe captured its first CAA Regular Season Championship since 1998.
During his tenure with W&M, Holmes helped in developing 20 All-CAA picks, nine 1,000-point scorers, 12 NABC All-District selections and six CAA All-Rookie selections. He also recruited and developed 2014 CAA Rookie of the Year and three-time All-CAA selection Omar Prewitt, who finished his career ranked fifth in scoring (1,831 points).
Holmes helped the Tribe to three-straight 20-win seasons in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, a first at W&M since 1949-51. The Tribe offense has ranked among the best in the country during Holmes’ tenure. In 2017-18, the Green and Gold became the first program in NCAA history to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent at the free throw line. The Tribe led the country in free throw (81.1) and 3-point (43.4) percentage.
From 2014-19, the Green and Gold established school records for points, points per game, 3-point percentage, 3-pointers made, free throw percentage, assists, assists per game, assist-to-turnover ratio and fewest turnovers. According to KenPom.com, W&M possessed one of most effective and efficient offenses in the country. The Tribe ranked among the top 60 in offensive efficiency on six occasions, including 27th in 2017-18. The Green and Gold ranked among the top 35 seven-straight seasons (2013-19) in effective field goal percentage, including a trio of top-10 efforts. The Tribe was second nationally in 2017-18 at 59.5 percent. W&M averaged a school-record 85 points per game in 2017-18, the third-best average in CAA history.
In overseeing the Tribe’s academics from 2009-12, Holmes saw 15 Tribe players earn CAA All-Academic Team honors, including a CAA-best and program-record seven in 2012. Twice over a three-year stretch (2010 and 2012), W&M had three of its five starters named to the CAA All-Academic Team. During the fall of 2011, 12 of the Tribe’s 14 players earned grade point averages of better than 3.0 and the team accumulated an overall GPA of better than 3.2.
In 2010, Holmes helped the Tribe earn a bid to the National Invitational Tournament, marking only the second postseason appearance in school history. W&M finished the year with the third most wins in school history, 22, including wins over ACC foes Maryland and Wake Forest. W&M also advanced to the CAA Championship game for the second time. Holmes helped bring in the Tribe’s 2010 recruiting class that was ranked among the best Mid-Major classes in the country and the top in the CAA by ESPN.com and Scouts, Inc.
Prior to joining the Tribe, Holmes served as an assistant coach at the Division II and NAIA levels before coming to Williamsburg prior to the 2008-09 season. Holmes grew up in the basketball-rich state of Indiana and furthers the W&M-North Carolina connection at the College after playing four seasons for the Tar Heels.
Holmes spent two seasons at Division II school Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. and one as an assistant coach and head junior varsity coach at Montreat College in 2005-06. Montreat compiled a 22-10 mark and won both the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, while also reaching the second round of the NAIA Division II national tournament. Holmes has also served as a counselor at numerous North Carolina Men’s Basketball Camps, as well as at his own Jonathan Holmes Basketball Camp in Bloomington, which started in 2002.
Holmes is a 2003 graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he was a four-year letterman on the Tar Heel basketball team. He played in 76 career games and recorded nearly a two-to-one assists to turnovers ratio. He was a member of Tar Heels teams that advanced to the 2000 Final Four, appeared in the 2003 NIT post-season tournament and won both the 1999 Maui Invitational and the 2002 Preseason NIT. Holmes was named to the 2003 ACC All-Academic Team. He earned a degree in communications from UNC with a 3.6 grade point average.
Upon graduation, Holmes played professionally for two seasons overseas. He was a member of the Leicester Riders in the British Basketball League (England) during the 2003-04 season. The following season, Holmes was a member of the IC Horsens in the Basketligaen Danish League (Denmark). He averaged 14 points and five assists in helping IC Horsens to a runner-up finish during the Danish League regular season as well as a tournament semifinal appearance in 2005.
Holmes was a four-year varsity starter for his father, J.R., at Bloomington South High School and capped his career as the runner-up for Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1999. He was the recipient of the John Wooden Citizenship Award in 1999 along with being a Nike High School All-American in the summer of 1998, McDonald’s All-American Nominee, two-time first team All-State in Indiana and being named to the Indiana All-Star team.
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