Weber State University Athletics
Weber State MBB legend Allen Holmes passes away
4/3/2017 3:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Weber State University and Wildcat Athletics mourn the passing of former Weber State men's basketball standout and Hall of Fame member Allen Holmes. Holmes passed away Thursday, March 30, 2017, at the age of 78.
Holmes was born January 14, 1939, in McComb, Mississippi. He starred for the Weber State Junior College basketball teams in the early years, laying a groundwork of excellence for future Wildcat 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.
He was a two-time first-team NJCAA All-American selection 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 1959 National Championships, averaging 28.8 points per game. He was a two-time ICAC All-Conference selection in 1958 and 1959.
Following his Weber State career, Holmes went on to the University of Utah and enjoyed more success before a leg injury cut his career short. Holmes' son, Byron Scott, was born in Ogden and went on to a long NBA career where he won three NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980's. Scott later was head coach of the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Lakers.
Holmes worked for many years as a counselor in the Utah state prison system. Weber State's Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium is named in his honor.
He was part of the first class inducted into the Weber State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989. The entire 1959 Junior College National Championship team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April, 5, at 11 a.m. at Mountain View Memorial Mortuary, 3115 East 7800 South, in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.
