KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- Dr. Dave Holmquist has masterfully guided his group of young men to a 29-3 season and Biola University Men's Basketball's 20^th berth in the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship. The National Association of Basketball Coaches and the NAIA rewarded the 36-year Biola head coach for his efforts in 2015-16 by making him the 2015-16 NABC NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.

The award was presented to Holmquist in front of a large crowd gathered at Kansas City's Power & Light District for Tuesday night's NAIA Basketball Championship Tip-Off event.
 
"We at Biola University have long appreciated Dr. Dave Holmquist's commitment to competitive excellence and dedication to his players — a legacy of leadership in athletics that is nearly unrivaled at the collegiate level," said President Barry Corey. "That he has been recognized by the NAIA as Coach of the Year, capping a season in which he surpassed 900 career wins, truly affirms his place among the all-time greats."
 
Holmquist is in the midst of one of the most successful seasons of his career, which spans through parts of five decades. He's taken a team picked to finish fifth in the Golden State Athletic Conference and turned them into conference champions, conference tournament champions and a No. 1 seed at the NAIA National Tournament.
 
This Coach of the Year honor is the second national coach of the year award in the illustrious career of college basketball's newest 900-game winner. He previously won NAIA Co-Coach of the Year with Howard Lyon following the tournament run of their 1981-82 team, which finished the year as the nation's runner-up with a 39-1 overall record.
 
"What a tremendous honor and accomplishment for Dr. Holmquist to receive this prestigious award. It is particularly meaningful to watch him achieve so much in his Hall of Fame coaching career, and do so with humility, joy, and kindness toward others," said Dr. Bethany Miller, director of athletics.
 
Holmquist, an incredibly humble, kind and warm-hearted man would be the first one to turn the attention from this award straight back to the group of 12 young individuals who begin play at the national tournament on Wednesday. However, an accomplishment that only happened once before, three decades ago, is definitely a moment worth pausing to reflect on.
 
It's been a historic year for the Biola Men's Basketball program as the team turned from just four GSAC wins in 2014-15 to an astonishing 14-2 mark in 2015-16. What Holmquist has led these young me to is especially impressive when considering five teams from the conference earned invitations to the 32-team national tournament field.
 
As referenced by Miller above, coach Holmquist also became just the eighth coach in all of men's college basketball history to reach over 900 career coaching wins. He won his 900^th game back in November and is now up to 920. He would love five more wins this season to add a national championship to his already crowded trophy shelf.
 
"He has achieved what we believe all coaches should aspire to," said Miller. "He's earned competitive success with the greater purpose of influencing student-athletes to be individuals of Christian virtue who thrive in life after completing their education. He is truly an amazing man that we at Biola deeply admire and respect."
 
Holmquist and Biola Men's Basketball begins its run through the 2016 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship at 11:15 a.m. (PT) on Wednesday, March 17. For more information on the tournament visit this link.