Weber State University Athletics
Hall of Fame - Allen Holmes
3/5/2015 5:24:00 PM | Wildcat Club
Allen Holmes
Men's Basketball (1958-59)
Inducted January 1989
Allen Holmes starred for the Weber Junior College basketball squads in the early years, laying a groundwork of excellence for future Wildcats success. Holmes – nicknamed “Stretch” -- played for the 1958 and 1959 teams and helped the Wildcats reach the pinnacle of success by winning the NJCAA National Championship in 1959.
Holmes, a Phoenix, Arizona, native, was a two-time first-team NJCAA All-American in 1958 and 1959. The 6-foot-5 guard led the Wildcats to the national title game, scoring in double figures as Weber State went 34-4 and defeated Bethany Lutheran Junior College 57-47 for the championship.
Under Coach Bruce Larson, Holmes was named Most Valuable Player of the '59 Tournament, averaging 28.8 points per game. He was a two-time ICAC All-Conference selection in 1958 and 1959.
“That game, well, I can't remember a greater experience in my life,” Holmes told Weber State's alumni magazine. “We were more than a team; we were a family. I recently told my son that to be a champion, you have to have teammates who enjoy each other, who are willing to share and willing to understand.”
Holmes went on to the University of Utah and enjoyed more success there before a leg injury cut his career short. Holmes' son, Byron Scott, played and coached in the NBA.
Holmes worked for many years as a counselor in the Utah state prison system. Weber State's Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium is named after him.