Charlie Holt Collection, 1942-2010

Collection number: MC 106
Size: (2 boxes) (0.45 cu.ft.)

About Charlie Holt

Charles E. Holt, Jr. was born in Melrose, Mass on July 17, 1922. “Charlie”, as he was known to all, began coaching men's ice hockey at the high school level immediately after graduating from Dartmouth College in 1946. His college coaching career began in 1962 at Colby College. In 1968 he took the head coaching job at the University of New Hampshire, where he remained for 18 seasons. He retired from UNH in 1986. After taking a few years off, Charlie returned to high school coaching at Berwick Academy, where he stayed for seven years before retiring for good in 1996.

Considered a legend in the college coaching ranks; he was known as a gentleman in a not so gentle game as well as a brilliant strategist, innovator and teacher. Holt was the soft-spoken coach who almost never yelled and seldom even raised his voice, either in practice or at a game.

In 24 years of college coaching, Charlie attained a record of 412 wins, 303 losses and 21 ties; ranking him 20th all time. He made the ECAC playoffs 14 times, the NCAA playoffs four times, including Frozen Four appearances three times (’77, ’79, ’82). He was also an Assistant Coach with the gold medal winning 1980 U.S. Olympic Team.

Individual games and honors never seem to matter as much to Charlie as did the people who played for him. Charlie instilled character and pride and skills in every individual he coached.

"Charlie Holt's achievements as a superb and universally respected hockey coach at UNH are well known," said UNH President Joan Leitzel at the time of Holt's death from cancer in March of 2000. "In addition, he left a great legacy on the ways student-athletes, coaches and citizens, in general, should conduct themselves and treat one another. His high ideals for perfection, professionalism, mutual respect, discipline and excellence will always be remembered and he will continue to serve as a role model for us and posterity."

Charlie was recognized by his peers with the Spence Penrose Award as college hockey’s top coach on three occasions: 1969, 1974 and 1979. In 1997 he was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame. Charlie has also received several posthumous honors, including being inducted into both the New Hampshire (2002) and Massachusetts (2006) Hockey Halls of Fame and being named the 2010 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey.

About the Charlie Holt collection

The bulk of this collection is newspaper clippings and magazine articles that document Holt's coaching career and legacy. It also includes honors programs and a few folders of correspondence and some of his plays and drills manuals.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [Folder], [Box], Charlie Holt Collection, 1943-2010, MC 106, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

This collection was donated to special collections by the Holt family in 2007 and 2016.

Hockey Coaching Archives, 1970s-2009 (MC 35)

Separated Material

UNH hockey yearbooks, programs and media guides were integrated into the UNH hockey archives (UA 16/1/15)

Collection Contents

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1College Hockey stats, Dartmouth, 1943
Box 1, Folder 2Northwood School Quarterly, Fall 1962
Box 1, Folder 3Clippings: Colby, 1962-1998
Box 1, Folder 4Clippings: Melrose, 1995-2010
Box 1, Folder 5Clippings: Berwick Academy, 1989-1996
Box 1, Folder 6Clippings: retirement, 1986
Box 1, Folder 7Clippings: obituaries and tributes, 2000
Box 1, Folder 8Clippings: Charlie's legacy, 1971-1998
Box 1, Folder 9Clippings: Friends of UNH Hockey, 1991-2000
Box 1, Folder 10Clippings: NH Hockey Hall of Fame, 2002
Box 1, Folder 11Clippings: Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey, 2010
Box 1, Folder 12Clippings: Robert Kullen, 1986-1990
Box 1, Folder 13Clippings: Snively Arena, Towse Rink, 1990-1995
Box 1, Folder 14Clippings: Dover Hockey Rink, 2000-2001
Box 1, Folder 15Clippings: UNH interim coach, 1987
Box 1, Folder 16Clippings and programs: UNH Honors, 1989-1998
Box 1, Folder 17Clippings and programs: U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, 1997
Box 1, Folder 18Clippings: Holt Hockey Archives, 2000
Box 1, Folder 19Programs: AHCA Coach of the Year banquets, 1985, 1989, 1995, 1997
Box 2
Box 2, Folder 1Proposed realignment of ECAC Division I, 1982
Box 2, Folder 2UNH Breakout - Keys for play, undated
Box 2, Folder 3Goalie drills and workout, undated
Box 2, Folder 4photographs, undated
Box 2, Folder 5AHCA convention, 1997
Box 2, Folder 6"Hockey Madness", by George Akerstrom, 1996
Box 2, Folder 7Miscellaneous correspondence to Charlie and Nancy (7 letters)1986-2001
Box 2, Folder 8Retired College Hockey Coaches Association, 1999-2001
Finding Aid Image TEMP
  • Charlie wearing his signature fedora and topcoat.
Collection
Charlie wearing his signature fedora and topcoat.

Charlie wearing his signature fedora and topcoat.

Formats

Newspapers & Publications