Michael Terrence “Terry” Holland was born in Clinton, North Carolina on April 2, 1942. He attended Clinton High School where he played football, basketball, and baseball all four years. He graduated valedictorian of his class and received a scholarship to Davidson College.

While attending Davidson, Holland lettered in basketball for three years. During his senior season he served as the captain for the first nationally-ranked basketball team in Wildcat history. After graduating in ’64 he stayed at Davidson and became an assistant basketball coach. Five years later, he was promoted to head coach for the Wildcats. He was selected as the Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year three times.

In 1974 Holland became the head coach for the University of Virginia’s basketball team. With an accumulated winning record of 326-173, he became the most successful basketball coach in UVA history. During his tenure at Virginia, he also led the Cavaliers to two Final Four appearances (1981 and 1984), a National Invitation Tournament title (1980), Virginia’s only ACC Tournament Championship (1976), and two Atlantic Coast Conference Coach-of-the-Year awards (1981 & 1982.)

In 1990 Holland returned to his alma mater, Davidson, to become the Athletic Director and oversaw the school’s move back into the Southern Conference. In 1995, he returned to Charlottesville as Athletic Director and in 1999 was named one of the 50 most influential figures in ACC basketball history by the Charlotte Observer. Holland returned to the Tar Heel state in the fall of 2004 as East Carolina University’s new Athletic Director. In 2006, ECU’s Chancellor Steve Ballard announced that he would also be taking on the role of Executive Assistant to the Chancellor.

He and his wife, Ann, have two daughters, Ann-Michael and Kate. They have two grandsons, Holland and Harrison Baynard.