Former Major League Baseball standout Derek Holland joined the UT Dallas coaching staff as the pitching coach in June 2025.
Holland enjoyed a 13-year MLB career, debuting with the Texas Rangers in 2009. He played a key role in the Rangers' back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, most notably delivering a winning performance in game four of the 2011 Fall Classic. Over the course of his career, Holland also pitched for the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers.
He finished with 82 career victories and 1,241 strikeouts over 1,466 innings. During the Rangers' World Series run, Holland was 16-5 with a 3.95 earned run average and a league-leading four shutouts.
Holland was drafted in the 25th round by the Rangers in the 2006 MLB draft out of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama. He is a native of Newark, Ohio and attended Newark High School.
He spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as a volunteer assistant pitching and first base coach for Dallas College North Lake in Irving, Texas. Holland coached 11 All-Dallas Athletic Conference selections for the Blazers. He also served as the bullpen coach for the American League team in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.
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