JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Fred Holmes has joined the Lincoln Athletic Department as the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance & Student Success. Holmes officially took over compliance duties from Betty Villalobos, who retired in January, on Thursday (Feb. 1).
"We are fortunate to have an administrator as talented and student-centered as Fred join us," said Dr. Kevin Wilson, Vice President for Advancement and Athletics. "His breadth of experience as a Division-I student-athlete, an emerging leader in the compliance, academic and student success spaces, and as a product of the NCAA leadership institute will pay huge dividends for the student-athlete experience here at Lincoln."
Holmes joins Lincoln after serving as the Assistant Athletic Director for Academics and Compliance at Metropolitan State University, an NCAA Division II institution in Denver, Colo. Since August of 2021. In addition to ensuring that the Roadrunners maintained compliance with all NCAA by-laws, Holmes collaborated with coaches and academic advisors to track MSU student-athletes' progress in the classroom to help them achieve their academic goals.
Prior to joining the staff at Metropolitan State, Holmes spent three years working as an administrator at the NCAA Division I level. In 2018-19, Holmes was the Coordinator for Student-Athlete Development at Northern Arizona University, working with all of the school's freshmen student-athletes while serving as the main support contact for the football and women's swimming & diving programs. From 2019-21, Holmes was the Assistant Director of Academic Services at North Texas, where he was the primary academic advisor for the university's football and softball teams.
Holmes began his career in athletic administration in 2016 as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Services at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Holmes moderated study hall and tutoring services for the school's Division II student-athletes and created opportunities to enrich the student-athlete experience through community engagement projects and campus involvement activities.
A 2008 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles as well as a linebacker for the Bruins, Holmes was invited to attend the 2023 NCAA Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute. He is a member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals as well as the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association. Holmes holds a graduate certificate in athletic administration and a master's degree in sports management, both from Southern New Hampshire University.
