MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State head coach Freda Freeman-Jackson most definitely has done some changing to her back-to-back championship team, by adding a little more expertise to her coaching staff with bringing in veteran coach Dexter Holt as a new assistant.
Holt just completed his fifth season as an assistant men's basketball coach at Alabama A&M University and his 16th season overall as a full-time assistant coach with the Bulldogs. He has more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience with Alabama A&M - 11 seasons with women's basketball and 11 seasons with the men's team in some capacity.
"I am excited with the hiring of Dexter," said Freeman-Jackson. "I have been observing him as a coach for so many years when he was with the women's team over at Alabama A&M. He's a class act he had an opportunity once he left with the women's team to join us, but he decided to stay at AAMU and join the men's team as an assistant coach and that's where I got him from. Dexter had been with the men's team for about five years and I have been watching his professionalism, especially when he's on the road recruiting. He knows his job and I think he will fit right in the scheme of things of what we are doing as far as our quest to continue to win championships here at Alabama State."
Holt is no stranger to the SWAC as his bio reads. He began his career in 1993 on then-men's Head Coach Vann Pettaway's staff as a student assistant. Those teams won three consecutive regional championships and went to three consecutive NCAA Elite Eight appearances (1993-1996).
"One thing I know for sure is that Coach Holt is already accustomed to the SWAC and winning," Freeman-Jackson said. "With him coming from a sister school this will be an easy transition for him as well as for us."
In 2000, then-Alabama A&M women's Head Coach Press Parham sought the up-and-coming young coach to become part of his coaching staff as a full-time assistant. Holt went on to become the top assistant for Parham's final two seasons.
Holt was so dedicated to the university that, in 2002, under a new head coach that she decided to keep him on her staff as her top assistant. Their personalities fit well and the program flourished under their leadership as the team finished .500 or better six out of nine seasons, including several top five SWAC finishes.
During his coaching career with the women's team, Holt recruited and developed many All-SWAC performers as well as two SWAC Players of the Year. Some of those players were guards and they led the SWAC in scoring three consecutive years (2009, 2010, and 2011). Holt is well-respected throughout the Southeast as being a great recruiter. He recruited several state Players of the Year and several under-the-radar players who developed into All-SWAC performers.
"Between Coach Harris (Associate Head Coach of ASU women's team) and Dexter I know that we will be brining in some top notch guards," said Freeman-Jackson. "That's one thing that I am most impressed with about Dexter, when he was at AAMU they have always had great guards and I feel like in the next couple of years that we will have much better guards in place. He can really recruit some guards and I feel like he's a great hire for us."
Athletically, Holt was a standout outside shooter in his playing days at Lee High School in Huntsville, AL, under legendary Head Coach Jerry Dugan and at Snead State Community College where he played for Gid Riddle and Craig Roden. After leaving Snead, Holt decided to work on his dream of coaching so he came back to his hometown, received his degree in 1996 at AAMU and then joined the staff. Holt has always been a person who will go out of his way to help other programs at the university, such as football, volleyball etc.
Dexter and Tabatha, his wife of 17 years, are the proud parents of Diamond Samoan and Dexter Jr. "DJ".
"I am very excited about joining the Lady Hornets it's an easy transition for me coming from Alabama A&M," said Holt. "Of course everyone knows about the rivalry, but this is an awesome experience as well as opportunity for me as a coach and my family."
"I look forward to being part of Coach Freeman-Jackson's staff. I have admired her from a far for a while and I am excited to be working with her and the other members of the staff. She has been around the SWAC for some time and her winning mind-set is one of the reasons why I am here.
COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
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