Tom Holmoe reflects on faith, experiences after two decades as BYU’s athletic director

For Tom Holmoe, retirement means the conclusion of one adventure and the start of a new one.

“I retired from the NFL when I was 30, and I definitely needed to go get another job,” he said. “As people, we’re constantly going through commencements, beginnings in our lives. There are so many cycles that we go through, and then there are new adventures that we go through. I can see — and really feel through the Spirit — that this was the right time for me to announce my retirement.”

Holmoe announced his retirement as Brigham Young University’s athletic director on Feb. 11.

Before being appointed to that position in 2005, Holmoe played football for the Cougars (1978-82), coached with LaVell Edwards and raised funds for the athletic department.

Holmoe’s seven-year NFL career was highlighted by playing for the San Francisco 49ers’ Super Bowl-winning teams in 1984, 1988 and 1989.

While Holmoe oversaw athletics, BYU teams captured four national championships and more than 130 conference regular-season and postseason championships. He guided the school through an era of independence and the West Coast Conference before joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023 and made several key coaching hires during his tenure. He was named the 2020-2021 NACDA Athletic Director of the Year. These and other accomplishments have come while maintaining a commitment to the values and mission of BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Holmoe reflected on his career experiences, faith in Jesus Christ and life’s transitions in a podcast interview with the Church News.

Power of prayer

As a young boy, Holmoe said he was scared of the dark and burglars in his neighborhood. He found comfort in praying every night for God’s protection.

“That is where I first learned to understand that Heavenly Father hears my prayers. He answers my prayers,” he said. “From that time forward, prayer has always been a big part of my life.”

‘The most important decision’

As a college football recruit who wasn’t a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nobody in Holmoe’s circle of family, friends and coaches wanted him to go to BYU.

Yet Holmoe liked the school for its brand of football, academics, and because “there weren’t very many distractions.” He was also influenced by close Latter-day Saints friends who wanted to attend BYU.

Going there “felt right” and changed Holmoe’s life, he said.

“Coming to BYU was something that I determined that I wanted to do, and I think that was the most important decision I made in my life,” he said. “I often think about it and I’m super grateful in my prayers that the Lord led me to BYU.”

Favorite parts of the job

Each year at BYU’s athletic graduation banquet, Holmoe observes the departing student-athletes who have overcome various challenges to achieve success and personal growth. He often wonders how BYU will start over with a new class of incoming freshmen, yet it consistently works out.

Seeing that “amazing metamorphosis” of maturation in lives of each BYU student-athlete has been the best part of his job.

“There is not one of those champs who hasn’t had to go through the grinder, through the crucible, before they got to the end. That’s my favorite part,” he said.

In a competitive world of wins and losses, Holmoe has valued the notion that “every day is a new, different day.”

“I really like the fact that we’re going to fail in athletics,” he said. “There’s no person in the world that can go through life on a perfect trajectory. There’s always bumps. And in athletics, that’s really the case. … At BYU, with over 600 student-athletes and 200 employees, there is not a day where we are not going to have a challenge.”

That leads to another favorite part of the job — helping people with their problems.

“The older I get, the more experiences I have, to be able to share with individuals, ‘You are going to be fine. This is something that’s going to take time. You might have to heal up. You might have to be out of school for a little while, but when you come back you will be stronger. You can do this,‘” he said.

‘My only hope’

Reflecting on the many lessons and experiences to this point in his life, Holmoe said he is most grateful for the Savior.

“What I’ve learned and is pure knowledge to me now is that Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, is my only hope,” he said.

“Through experiences where I was down and it was tough, where you totally submit and you realize, and you confess, ‘Jesus, you are my only hope.’ He’s your only hope too. Whether you know that or not, you have to determine that. And when I confess that, that all good things come from Him, then I’m good. I’m at peace, and I can do anything through my Savior.”