According to a statement released by the institution on Monday, Terry Holland, a legendary basketball coach who made the University of Virginia’s basketball program a national powerhouse during his 16-year career, passed suddenly at the age of 80.
After retiring from coaching, Holland went on to have a prosperous career as an athletic administrator. By 2019, Holland had ceased going to Virginia home games due to his Alzheimer’s condition.
Only three winning seasons had been achieved by the failing Virginia basketball team in the previous 21 years until Holland took over the program in 1974. Yet, Holland established a culture of fierce defense, which turned out to be a winning formula.
By leading the Cavaliers to nine NCAA tournament appearances, two Final Fours, and the 1980 NIT championship, he managed to accumulate an impressive career record of 326-173 despite the fact that two of his first three teams had losing records. In spite of the team’s lackluster 15-11 regular season record, he led them to their first ACC tournament title in 1976.
Terry Holland Cause Of Death: What happened to the former Virginia basketball coach?
Holland, who had been living with his wife in a Charlottesville, Virginia, Alzheimer’s care facility since receiving his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2019, died there, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.