Playing career at Sexton, MSU, then in coaching sent John Holms to Greater Lansing Hall

John Holms was a standout athlete in both football and basketball in the 1960s at Sexton High School, then followed his dream to play on the hardwood at Michigan State. Following his playing days, Holms had a long, successful career coaching at numerous schools. And now, years later, he has earned an induction into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class. "I am honored to be among the men and women who are already in the Greater Lansing Hall of Fame as well as this year's honorees," Holms said. "My family has always been supportive of me, and I'm happy to share this experience with my wife, my sister, Beth, and her family, my two sons, Jim and Andrew, their wives, and our granddaughters." Holms was a three-year varsity player at Sexton, helping lead the football team to a 1963 Class A state title while also being second team All-State and All-Conference basketball player in 1964 and 1965. Holms helped MSU basketball win the 1967 Big Ten championship, then ended up coaching the Spartans' freshman team for one season before taking over as the head coach of Lansing Waverly High School for six years. "My experience as a player at MSU was great, I had great teammates and coaches and still keep in contact with many of my teammates," Holms said. "It was a lifelong dream to play at MSU. My father was an MSU graduate and my mother was a faithful fan. So from the time I was little, I followed MSU basketball and football." After a brief two-year stint as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona, Holms settled in Kalamazoo as an educator and coach at Comstock High School. He was the boys basketball coach there from 1983-1993 and the boys golf coach from 1989-2009. As Comstock's coach, Holms helped lead the Colts to three districts championship and a regional title in 1988, compiling a career coaching record of 145-88. One of Holms' best players at Comstock was Chris Crawford, who went on to play collegiately at Marquette and was drafted to the NBA by the Atlanta Hawks. "I have had several great experiences during my coaching career, and I appreciate the many players I have had over the years," Holms said. Holms was a three-time Wolverine Conference Coach of the Year, the BCAM Coach of the Year in 1993, and was inducted into the Comstock Hall of Fame in 2012. As an educator, he was the 2006 CEA Teacher of the Year, received the Excellence in Education Significant Educator Award in 2007, and earned the Wolverine Conference Distinguished Service Award in 2010. 50th Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Famecelebration When: 4:30 p.m., Aug. 20 Where: Lansing Center Tickets: Call (517) 484-0677 or email everyb21@gmail.com for information. 2026 inductees:  Dave Allen, John Holms, Tom Izzo, Debbie Kent, Cortney Scott, Denzel Valentine, Drew Valentine, 1999 Okemos softball Sponsors: Dean Transportation, Shaheen Chevrolet/Cadillac, Dan Henry Distributing, One North Kitchen & Bar, ASAP Printing, Applegate Home Comfort, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Edward Jones Investments, Gregory Eaton Associates,  Roland Carter Enterprise, The Bleacher Denizen  This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Playing career at Sexton, MSU, then in coaching sent John Holms to Greater Lansing Hall