At the age of 80, Terry Holland, a great coach who made the Virginia men’s basketball team a national powerhouse, passed suddenly. In Charlottesville, where he had been battling Alzheimer’s disease since 2019, Holland passed away on Sunday.
From 1974 through 1990, Holland served as the team’s head coach at Virginia, guiding them to two Final Four appearances and nine NCAA tournament appearances. Ralph Sampson, a 7-foot-4 center from Harrisonburg High School, joined the program as a result of his recruitment, and this helped the team reach even higher heights.
In 1976, Holland’s second year as head coach, the Cavaliers earned their first ACC tournament title under his direction. After that, he steered the group to a 29-4 record in the 1980–81 campaign, which culminated in a defeat to North Carolina in the national semifinals. After Sampson was selected first overall in the NBA draft that year, Virginia made an unexpected run to the Final Four.
There is no denying that Holland had a significant impact on Virginia basketball, and that impact is still present in the team today. He has a long line of successful head coaches under his belt, including former assistants David Odom, Craig Littlepage, Jim Larraaga, Seth Greenberg, and Jeff Jones.
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According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Holland passed away there where he had been residing with his wife ever since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.