Donnie Holland, a veteran prep and college coach of more than four decades, joined Matthew Driscoll's staff in August 2019 as the program’s first Director of Player Development.
This voluntary, non-coaching position serves the Ospreys as a liaison for quality control, aids in developing life skills and strategies for players and assists the entire staff in a variety of other capacities.
In 46 years of coaching basketball at the high school and collegiate levels, Holland amassed a career record of 472-394. He was voted a Region Coach of the Year, 10 times during his career.
He began is coaching career as Head JV coach at Aynor (S.C.) High School in 1973-74. He followed that with a stint as assistant coach at Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute Prep School from 1974-76. Next came a three-year stop at Williston (S.C.)-Elko High School as head boy’s JV and varsity basketball coach.
Holland would then spend the next 30 years in Aiken, S.C., with stints at Silver Bluff High School (1979-82), Midland Valley High School (1982-85) and South Aiken High School (1985-2007), where he also served as assistant athletic director. He capped his stay in Aiken serving two seasons as a men’s basketball assistant coach at the University of South Carolina at Aiken from 2007-09.
In 2009, Holland took over the boy’s varsity program at Nation Ford High School (Fort Mill, S.C.) until 2011 and then became an administrator for three years at the Ombudsman School in Kingsland, Ga. Holland would conclude his coaching career as the head varsity boy’s basketball coach at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., from 2014-19.
Holland earned a bachelor’s degree from Campbell College in 1973 followed by a master’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina in 1990.
A native of Newport News, Va., Holland is married to the former Brenda Sherrod. The couple have four children (Heather, Brooke, Weston and Marle) and eight grandchildren (J. Strom, Field, Averi, Graham, Anne Holland, Landry, Easton and Riggs.)
Holland Career Highlights
1998 - AAAA State Basketball Champions
1998 - AAAA State Basketball Coach of the Year
1992 - North/South Basketball All-Stars Assistant Coach
1998 - North/South Basketball All-Stars Head Coach
2003 - Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic Head Coach
1987 - AAA State Golf Champions
2000 - AAAA State Golf Champions
2001 - AAAA State Golf Champions
2004 - AAAA State Golf Champions
1981 - A State Football Champions (Asst. Coach)
1987 - AA State Football Champions (Asst. Coach)
