Northern-Calvert's Rich Holzer named the new head coach at Loyola Blakefield

Holzer's team won the 2021 Class 3A state title and he capture the 2019 MIAA A crown while at Mount St. Joseph
Rich Holzer is returning to the MIAA A Conference as the new head coach at Loyola Blakefield. He won the MIAA championship at Mount St. Joseph before spending the last four full seasons at Northern-Calvert where he won the 2021 Class 3A state crown.
Rich Holzer is returning to the MIAA A Conference as the new head coach at Loyola Blakefield. He won the MIAA championship at Mount St. Joseph before spending the last four full seasons at Northern-Calvert where he won the 2021 Class 3A state crown. / Varsity Sports Network

Loyola Blakefield announced Tuesday the selection of Rich Holzer as its new football coach. 

Holzer spent the past four full seasons at Northern in Calvert County where he went 34-13 and won the Maryland Class 3A state championship in 2021.

Prior to Northern, Holzer was at Mount St. Joseph for six seasons. The Gaels won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title in 2019.

Holzer, who guided Meade to consecutive Class 4A state semifinals in 2012 and 2013, is excited to return to his Catholic school roots.

“My family and I are deeply honored and excited to become part of this exceptional community. Loyola values character, excellence, and tradition, and I am eager to build a football program that not only achieves success on the field but also instills pride throughout the community by shaping young men of integrity, resilience, and purpose,” said Holzer, who prepped at Archbishop Stepinac in New York. 

Holzer continued his academic and athletic career at Hofstra where he was a three-year starter on the offensive line. He began his coaching career at Stepinac as an assistant then came to Maryland, first serving as an assistant at Westlake.

Holzer gained his first head coach opportunity at Parkdale in 2008. After three seasons at the Prince George’s County (Md.) program, he went to Meade where he went 33-13, including the Anne Arundel County (Md.) school’s first postseason berth since 2001.

Holzer went 41-16 at Mount St. Joseph, capped with the school’s first MIAA A title since 2007 when the Gaels shared the title with Loyola Blakefield. It was Mount St. Joseph’s first outright football title since 1949.

Holzer succeeded Blake Henry - now Loyola athletic director - at Mount St. Joseph in 2014. Henry was interim coach this past fall at Loyola after the departure of Anthony Zeyhoue last spring. 

Henry, who guided Loyola to a 6-5 record - capped with a second straight victory over Calvert Hall College in the Turkey Bowl - is excited to have Holzer leading the Dons.

“His proven success in developing young men, building strong teams, and competing at the highest level makes him the ideal leader for our program,” said Henry in a press release. “We’re excited for him to begin working with our players and families and to see the impact he will bring to our community, both on and off the field.”


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Derek Toney
DEREK TONEY

Derek Toney is an award winning sports journalist with nearly four decades of content creation, editing and management experience in the DMV area. He has served as a reporter with the Baltimore Sun, Capital Journal, PG Gazette, Digital Sports and the Baltimore Banner, among others. He also spent 12 years as a Senior Content Editor with Varsity Sports Network. He has been writing for High School on SI since 2023