MONMOUTH, Ore. --- Western Oregon alum and interim track & field head coach Zach Holloway had his interim tag removed and is officially the program's head coach moving forward the WOU Athletics Department announced Monday.
 
"We are pleased that head cross country coach Zach Holloway has accepted the position of head track & field coach on a permanent basis following a year as interim," WOU Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Randi Lydum said. "He has poured his heart and soul into our program and we are delighted to have him and his family continue in this role.
 
"Coach Holloway has a positive growth mindset, continually looking for ways to enhance the student athlete experience. He will undoubtedly carry on the tradition of track & field success at Western."
 
Holloway, who completed his third year as the WOU cross country head coach in 2025, has coached at WOU for nine seasons (including this season as interim head coach) with a focus on middle and long distance. He's been an assistant coach for Octavious Gillespie-Bennett as well as Mike Johnson.

"I'm extremely excited to officially be named head track & field coach at Western Oregon moving forward," Holloway said. "I'm passionate about this program and the experience we can offer our student-athletes, both competitively and academically. I'm thankful for the belief and support from our administration, and I'm eager to continue to work with our staff to keep building a culture that attracts, develops, and competes at a high level."
 
As interim head coach this season, Holloway led the WOU men to a third-place finish at the GNAC Outdoor Championships (the program's sixth-straight top-three finish) and the women to a fifth-place finish. The Wolves as a program finished with five outdoor individual titles, 11 top-three finishes and overall broke nine school records. WOU is also expected to have a handful of athletes qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships – which will be announced Tuesday.

Holloway the last several years coordinated the recruiting efforts for the track and field program – all while helping the program to three team GNAC titles. He also served as the meet operations director for all of the fall cross country meets on the Ash Creek Preserve. He's been instrumental in helping run multiple big events on campus including the Ash Creek Invitational, The Mike Johnson Classic (formerly The Sundowner), The John Knight Twilight, hosting the Pac-12 Championships, the GNAC Championships and the NCAA Division II West Regionals.