Holovak passes away
Former Patriots head coach Mike Holovak passed away today at the age of 88. Holovak spent nearly eight seasons as the head coach of the Boston Patriots (1961-68) and led the franchise to its first championship game appearance following the 1963 season.
“Mike Holovak was a great coach and a wonderful person,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “I remember watching Mike’s Boston College teams in the 1950s and his Patriots teams in the 1960s. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with him on several occasions. Our team has lost one of its founding fathers and the entire Patriots family is saddened by Mike’s passing.”
After a nine-year tenure as the head coach at Boston College, Holovak served as the offensive backfield coach and director of player personnel during the Patriots’ inaugural season in 1960. He was named head coach prior to the sixth game of the 1961 season and immediately turned the team’s fortunes around. He took over a 2-3-1 club and led it to seven wins in its final eight games to finish the season with a 9-4-1 record, just a game behind Houston, that season’s eventual American Football League champion. The accomplishment was a marked improvement over the team’s 5-9 record in the 1960 campaign. Holovak led the Patriots to an identical 9-4-1 record in 1962, but again fell just short of the divisional title, finishing a half-game out of first place.
In the 1963 season, Holovak’s Patriots achieved the franchise’s first playoff victory, defeating the Buffalo Bills in a divisional playoff matchup to advance to the 1963 AFL championship game. The following season, the Patriots posted a 10-3-1 record, setting a franchise record for victories that stood for a dozen years.
Holovak’s 53 victories as Patriots head coach rank second in franchise history after Bill Belichick (105). His tenure of 107 games on the New England sidelines also ranks second in team annals, trailing Belichick’s 144 games as head coach.
Holovak coached five of the 12 members of the Patriots Hall of Fame: LB Nick Buoniconti, WR/K Gino Cappelletti, DE Bob Dee, DT Jim Lee Hunt and QB Vito “Babe” Parilli. During Holovak’s tenure, two Patriots won the AFL’s Most Valuable Player Award: Cappelletti (1964) and RB Jim Nance (1966).
Thank you Mike. You gave us some great seasons with some fascinating players. I was just a youngster during the Holovak years. I collected the bottlecaps and celebrated every Pats victory.
As a youngster going to Patriots games at Fenway Park, I remember Mike on the sidelines. He was a well respected Bostonian for many years. He helped bring professional football to Boston, and we are all thankful for our Patriots.
In the early sixties, we always rooted for the Giants. But slowly, Mike Holovak's teams won us over. They were exciting, unpredictable and mostly, they were fun to watch. They made us think of the NFL as staid. Thank you Mike.
I was a kid in those days and as I read this artical it brought me back... I had to snap out of it.
Mike is one of the pieces that makes up our history.
Thanks coach.
An old friend and teammate at Lansford High School. From an athletic family; a brother Chili an outstanding athlete at the Naval Academy, a brother Pete, my best friend in high school. Probably the best athlete and my teammate. Played at Fordham whose career was ended with his death in World War II. I now am the only surviving member of the championship teams of 1934 and 1935. I wish I knew the plans for him now so I could pay my respects.
I WAS SADDED TO HEAR OF HIS DEATH.. MY DAD DIED IN 03.HARRY MARR WAS A BC COACH UNDER DENNY MYERS .HE COACHED HOLOVAK.GO PATS.
Growing up in the early sixties iwas first aware of the patriots and Mile Holovak ia a game at fenway Park against the Houston oilers,sitting in my 55 chevy belair as Babe Parilli was driving the Boston Patriots as time was running out the Babe ran at of bounce at houstons 37 yard line with one second remaining in the clock. Gino Capalleti came in for a 43 yard field goal try from the right harshmark. it was gooooooooddd Patriots win Patriots win and I was hooked.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
ask reiss
Questions will be considered for Mike's mailbagbrowse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com