Wesley Eugene Holly, Milligan’s former softball coach, died on Aug. 24 at the age of 77.
Holly, who was born in 1948 in Elizabethton, started Milligan’s softball program in 1988. In his 37 years at Milligan, Holly earned 1,009 wins with the team.
“He was a beloved family man and cared deeply for Milligan and its students,” said Director of Athletics Christian Pope in an email to the Milligan community.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Earlier this spring, Holly reached his 1,000th career win, ranking third all-time in NAIA history. He remained head coach of the program until the spring of this year.
“He was a very genuine man. It was very obvious if he liked you or if he didn’t really care for you. One way or another, he was who he was, and I like that about people,” said Pope in an interview later on.
During Holly’s time at Milligan, he led his team to eight regular-season conference championships and two conference tournament titles. In 2021, he took one of his teams to the NAIA World Series.
“I remember from our first ever interaction he was calm and made me feel like family from the beginning,” said Alexis Brown in a WJHL interview published on March 26.
Photo: Wes Holly talking to Ashley Worley at Milligan Softball Game against Truett McConnell on March 18, 2025 (photo by Spencer Hall)
