News for Thursday, March 3, 2005

Cal-New Mexico State Date Changed
Bears to visit Aggies on Friday, Sept. 23.
March 3, 2005
BERKELEY - California's 2005 football game at New Mexico State, originally slated for Saturday, Sept. 24 in Las Cruces, N.M., has been rescheduled for Friday, Sept. 23 to accommodate live network television coverage by ESPN or ESPN2, Athletic Director Sandy Barbour announced today.
Tentative kickoff time for the non-conference game is 5 p.m. PDT
The Golden Bears, who begin spring practice Monday, March 28, posted their best regular-season record (10-1) in 54 years in 2004. Coach Jeff Tedford's club christens the 2005 season when Cal plays Sacramento State in Memorial Stadium Saturday, Sept. 3.

J.J. Arrington Wins Pop Warner Award
Cal tailback named top senior football player on West Coast.
March 3, 2005
BERKELEY - J.J. Arrington, a consensus first team All-America tailback at the University of California and the nation's only 2,000-yard rusher last season, has been named the 56th winner of the prestigious Glenn "Pop" Warner Memorial Trophy, given annually by the Palo Club to the most valuable senior player on the West Coast.

Arrington, who averaged a NCAA-leading 7.0 yards per carry in rushing for a school-record 2,018 yards and 15 touchdowns, is the sixth Cal player in history to win the award and only the second Golden Bear to receive the honor in the past 21 years. Deltha O'Neal was the last Cal recipient in 1999.

"J.J. had an amazing season and is richly deserving of this honor," said Cal head coach Jeff Tedford. "He played a major role in our success this past season. While everyone saw how talented he was on the football field, what makes us most proud of him is his work ethic and unselfishness, and the leadership he provided our team."

The only NCAA Division I-A player to rush for 100 yards in every 2004 game, the 5-11, 215-pound Arrington became only the third player in Pac-10 history to gain 2,000 yards in a season, joining former Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Allen (1981) and Charles White (1979) in that elite group. His 2,018 yards were the most gained by a Pac-10 player in 23 years, while his 261 yards in Cal's regular-season finale at Southern Miss Dec. 4 ranks No. 3 on the school's all-time single-game list.

In propelling the Bears to their best regular season record (10-1) in 54 years and highest national ranking (No. 4) in 52 seasons, Arrington rushed for 169 yards or more in eight of his team's 12 games. He became the first Cal player to win a conference rushing title in 46 years, with quarterback Joe Kapp the last Bear to claim the title in 1958.


Holmoe Named Director of Athletics at BYU
Refuses To Apologize for Five Dismal Years at Berkeley
PROVO, Utah (March 1, 2005) -- President Cecil O. Samuelson today announced the appointment of Tom Holmoe as Director of Athletics at Brigham Young University. Holmoe becomes the 12th athletics director in school history and the first to oversee both the men's and women's sports programs.

"Tom Holmoe is a superb leader, as he has continued to demonstrate while serving as co-chair of the Athletic Department's transitional leadership team," said President Samuelson. "Tom has played an important role helping to consolidate the men's and women's athletic programs. With this effort now complete, the department is ready to move forward. We are confident that Tom is the right choice for this position."

A former Cougar defensive back from 1978-82, Holmoe returned to BYU in July 2001 as Associate Athletic Director of Development. As part of his responsibilities, he supervised the Cougar Club, served as the department's liaison with the LDS Foundation and worked on the capital campaign to raise funds for the University's new athletic facilities.

"I am deeply honored by this appointment," said Holmoe. "I love this University. I believe in its mission. We have a great athletic tradition at BYU and a responsibility to bring honor to the University. I am committed to helping student-athletes succeed in competition, in the classroom, in their personal lives and in their individual preparation for life."

Holmoe takes over an athletic department that was recently consolidated from separate men's and women's programs. For the past six months, Holmoe has served as co-chair of a transitional team given the responsibility of merging the two athletic programs -- including 21 athletic teams -- into one organizational structure.

"This is a new beginning for our athletic program, and we are excited to have Tom Holmoe at the helm," said K. Fred Skousen, BYU vice president for advancement. "Not only is Tom an exceptional leader, a quality he has exhibited in his days playing and coaching football, but also has a clear vision for BYU Athletics. We are fortunate to have someone of Tom's abilities and experience step into this role. Tom is clearly the person who can take our athletic program to the next level."

A native of La Crescenta, Calif., Holmoe came to BYU on a football scholarship in 1978. He became a starter as a sophomore in 1980 and led the Western Athletic Conference with seven interceptions. Holmoe went on to earn first-team Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior in 1982 and was selected in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

During his five years at BYU, the Cougars won five straight WAC titles. In his seven-year NFL career, Holmoe played on three Super Bowl teams with the San Francisco 49ers in 1984, 1988 and 1989. In addition, he won a fourth title as the 49ers secondary coach in 1994.

After retiring from pro football, Holmoe entered the coaching ranks, returning to BYU to serve as a graduate assistant under LaVell Edwards in 1990 and 1991. Holmoe then accepted an offer from Bill Walsh to become the Stanford secondary coach in 1992, where he remained for two seasons. The Cardinal was PAC-10 tri-champions in 1992 with a 10-3 overall record, including a win over Penn State in the Blockbuster Bowl.

In 1994, Holmoe returned to the 49ers, serving as George Seifert's defensive backfield coach for two seasons. Two years later in 1996, Holmoe joined the University of California staff as defensive coordinator under Steve Mariucci. Following Mariucci's departure to the NFL, Holmoe assumed duties as head coach of the Golden Bears' football program from 1997 until resigning after the 2001 season.

Holmoe graduated from BYU with a degree in zoology in 1983 and received a master's degree from BYU in athletic administration in 1995. He and his wife, Lori, live in Provo with their four children.