Hunter Holmes eager for opportunity as Glenwood Springs’ new football coach
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Courtesy graphic
For freshly appointed Glenwood Springs High School head football coach Hunter Holmes, opportunity is everything.
After a plethora of stints as both director of recruiting and special teams specialist at a bundle of universities, most notably Big 12 powerhouse Texas Tech, Holmes now has his eyes set on bringing Demons football its first Class 3A state championship in the Colorado High School Activities Association since 2008.
At only 29, Holmes realizes what needs to be done for his team to succeed.
“First and foremost, we’re going to learn to compete and play through the echo of the whistle. Something that I’m gonna emphasize to these kids when I get there is we’re not going to settle for average,” Holmes said.
After Glenwood saw itself fall to a 5-5 record last year, Holmes knows the potential his team carries.
“All we really need to do is put our heads down and focus on the end goal — of course once CHSAA allows us to get together and start getting to work,” he said. “We have a ton of upperclassmen who I’m confident will be able to lead this team to where we want to go.”
Holmes most recently served in an assistant role at conference rival Durango High School, a team that went undefeated in conference play in 2022 before suffering a season-ending loss in the semifinals of the 3A playoffs.
Taking the reins of the GSHS football program is sure to be a good fit for Holmes, he said.
“Visiting Glenwood, you start to meet the people around the town, even the people on the interview committee and coach (Rhonda) Moser, the women’s basketball coach, it just felt like there was a great fit for me in Glenwood Springs,” Holmes said. “There is a commitment to winning across the board in that school that I really want to be a part of.”
The director of scouting for OneOnOne Kicking Camps, an organization that has seen 18 of its predecessors advance to the NFL, along with a plethora of players finding success in collegiate athletics, Holmes knows what it takes for his athletes to make it to the next level.
“My philosophy has always been, ‘How you do anything is how you do everything.’ That is something that my strength coach at Arkansas State instilled in me during my time there,” Holmes said. “You can’t just be a great football player, so we’re going to emphasize to our kids the importance of being well-rounded in the classroom and being good humans.”
While Holmes awaits his April 3 transition from Durango to Glenwood Springs, the former Arkansas State punter has already began his homework on his new team.
“I’ve probably watched a pretty good amount of tape on everybody and that’s one of the great things about a new staff coming in for these kids is to have a fresh, clean slate,” Holmes said. “Nothing that happened in the past matters anymore. I’m not gonna choose favorites based on what I’ve heard. You work your tail off and you’re gonna see playing time on this team.”
