Naval Academy Athletics

Craig Holt enters his 26th season with the Navy program in 2025. After 16 years as an assistant coach with Dr. Sho Fukushima through 2015, he stayed on staff under the leadership for new head coach Kip Simons. Holt is directly involved in the coaching of Navy’s rings and high bar units.

"Navy is a program built on maximizing individual achievement for the good of the team's success," Holt said. "As a team, our training is intense, consistent and scientific. This model helps us develop a strong base of physical gymnastics skill, mental preparation and a strong character."

Combining his talents with Simons since the fall of 2015, Holt and the program have reached new heights with eight trips to the NCAA Championship (Navy was on its way to a fifth straight trip before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2020 season in mid-March). Prior to this run of competition on the highest national stage, Navy had only been to the NCAAs in 2009. Navy’s success has resulted Holt earning CGA East Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Regionally, the Mids have captured the ECAC Championship in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Prior to Navy’s ECAC title in 2016, the last time the team had been atop the podium was 1989. Additionally, Holt and the Mids have earned four consecutive All-Academy Championship titles in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and the 2008, 2019, 2022 and 2023 USAG Collegiate Championships.

In 2024, Navy's success continued with its stronghold over Army and the ECAC conference as the Mids won their sixth straight Star Meet and sixth straight ECAC Championship. At the NCAA Championship, two of Holt's direct mentees, Isaiah Drake and Matthew Petros advanced to compete in the event finals of the rings and high bar, respectively. Drake was just 0.3 points shy of his second straight All-American finish as he posted a 13.633 score to tie him for 19th overall.

Navy kept breaking new ground under Holt’s tutelage in 2023 as the team swept the Star Meet, USAG and ECAC Championships once again. The 2023 NCAA Championship saw Navy gymnasts breakthrough at the All-American level as Syam Buradagunta and Isaiah Drake finished top-eight and garnered the program’s first All-American honors since 1973.

The 2022 season was one for the record books as Holt and the Mids as they cruised in the regular season with Star Meet and All-Academy Championship wins before rolling to USAG and ECAC Championships in the postseason. All total, Navy gymnasts earned five individual titles at the USAGs and six more at the ECACs. At the 2022 NCAA Championship, the Mids posted a team-best result of seventh place as nine individuals advanced to the NCAA Championship Finals. Josh Williams (R) and Giovanni Gambatese (HB) challenged for All-American honors as Williams was 10th, just 0.067 out of eighth, while Gambatese was 0.234 points out in 13th. Additionally, Williams was selected as a finalist for the 2022 Nissen-Emery Award, he was the first Mid since Andrew Faulk in 2012 to make it to the final round of the national honor.

In his 22nd season on staff with the Mids, Holt helped the program navigate a tricky COVID-19 impacted slate. Competing in both in-person and virtual meets, as well as around a month-long restriction of movement for the Naval Academy, the Mids won the 2021 All-Academy Championship and scored a regular season-high of 398.6 points against Penn State in a virtual contest. In the postseason, Navy recorded 397.8 points at the ECAC Championship to win its third straight league title. At the NCAA Championship Qualifying Meet, Navy turned in a score of 390.9 to rank 11th in the nation. Individually, six Mids advanced to the event final and three, Ryan McVay (10th in AA), David Toussaint (10th on PH) and Giovanni Gambatese (14th on HB) nearly attained All-American status. Both Toussaint and Gambatese were 0.1 points out of eighth place, while McVay posted a career-best AA score.

In an abridged 2020 campaign that was impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Navy was on its way to a season to remember as the program collected a win the Star Meet over Army (its fourth in five years), placed first at the All-Academy Championship, scored 402.0 points or more in five of their seven competitions and eventually concluded the shortened season with the fifth-best scoring average in the NCAA ranks at 406.63. Individually, four Mids earned CGA All-American honors, Ben Provost (HB), Cash Buske (HB), Josh Williams (R) and Connor Van Loo (V). As a whole, Navy gymnasts garnered an additional 24 All-ECAC and 12 USAG Collegiate All-America awards. Holt is directly involved in the coaching of Navy’s rings and high bar units.

In his 20th season on staff with Navy Men's Gymnastics, Holt and the Mids achieved nearly every goal set in front of them in 2019 as they were victorious over Army in the Star Meet and later Air Force and Army at the All-Academy Championship. In the postseason, Navy rolled to team titles at the USAG Collegiate Championship and the ECAC Championship meets. The final touch on Navy's 2019 season was a 10th-place result at the NCAA Championships with a score of 393.123 to best both California and Army. For Navy's success, Holt was named the CGA East Regional, USAG Varsity and ECAC Co-Assistant Coach of the Year with his fellow Navy assistant coach Colin Payne. 

In 2018, the Mids compete on the grandest stage, the NCAA Championship for the third straight year as Navy tallied the 10th-highest national qualifying average during the regular season. At the NCAAs, Navy placed 11th overall and finished ahead of Air Force in the 12-team field. Four Mids earned their way into the event finals of the NCAA Championship, while four athletes won five combined individual titles over the USAG or ECAC Championship meets.   

The recipient of the 2017 CGA East Regional and ECAC Men's Gymnastics Assistant Coach of the Year awards, Holt and the Mids had another standout campaign during the 2017 season. Navy qualified for and competed as a team at the NCAA Championship for the second straight year and came away with a program-best 11th place finish to surpass the team from Cal in the standings. Individual highlights from 2017 include five event titles at the ECAC and USAG Championship from a total of four different gymnasts. Academically, nine Mids were honored by the CGA in their scholar-athlete recognition program in 2017.

2016 was a banner year for Holt and the Navy program as the team captured the ECAC Championship and an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. Navy's ECAC crown was its first since 1989, while a team appearance in the NCAAs had only occured once prior back in 2009. Three Mids advanced from the team qualifying meet to the events finals of the NCAA Championships, Jonny Tang (all-around), Connor Gonzales (rings) and Eric Poletti (rings). In addition to their success at the national meet, Navy accrued 15 All-ECAC honorees at the ECAC Championship. For the team's stellar performance during the season, Holt was recognized as the CGA East Regional Assistant Coach of the Year, as well as the ECAC Men's Gymnastics Co-Assistant Coach of the Year.

During 2013-15 seasons, Holt has helped three athletes qualify for and compete in the NCAA Championships. In April of 2015 at the University of Oklahoma, Jonny Tang was an entrant in the all-around competition, while Mitchell Larios took on the nation's best on the vault. In 2013, Chris Junghans finished 12th overall in the all-around competition and just missed placing in the top 10 by 0.4 points.

Prior to Junghans, Holt helped coach Andrew Faulk to his spectacular 2012 senior campaign, which included a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. In 2011, Holt was named ECAC Tri-Assistant Coach of the Year as he helped guide Dylan Parrott and Andrew Faulk to the NCAA Championships.

In 2009, Holt assisted in helping the Midshipmen to a memorable season, as they finished with an impressive 15-4 record and a N-Star victory at Army. In addition, the Mids won their second-straight All-Academy Championship, placed second at the ECAC Championship and advanced as a team to the NCAA Qualifying Meet for the first time in program history.

His efforts in the gym have not gone unrecognized, as he has been named the NCAA East Region Assistant Coach of the Year (2007), USAG Collegiate Division Assistant Coach of the Year (2019, 2008, 2006), ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year (2024-co, 2019, 2017, 2016-Co, 2011, 2007 and 2003) and CGA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2007-Co).
 
During the summer of 2005, Holt coached the United States team in the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel. Holt guided the United States to a second-place team finish with gold medal performances in the floor exercise and pommel horse. In addition to his coaching duties, Holt also served as a judge at the Maccabiah Games.

Holt came to the Academy after serving as an assistant coach for one season at William & Mary and two years at his alma mater, Syracuse.

"I would like all of our athletes to leave the Naval Academy knowing that they have the tools to not only meet, but exceed all that is expected of them," he added. "They should have a strong sense of confidence and accomplishment as they begin their careers."

As a gymnast, Holt was an NCAA finalist on the rings in 1994. He is a 1995 graduate of Syracuse, where he earned a degree in physical education. Holt earned his master's degree in exercise physiology from Syracuse in the summer of 2002.