Joel Holst

Last updated

Joel Holst
Current position
TitleHead Coach
Team Independence HS (IA)
Biographical details
Born Lowden, IA
Alma mater Coe College
Playing career
1981–1985 Coe
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1985-1988 West Delaware HS (IA)
1989-1990 Northwest Missouri State (Asst)
1991–1995 Loras
1996–2023 Wartburg
2024 Janesville HS (IA)
2025–present Independence HS (IA)
Head coaching record
Overall861–488–4 (.638) (college)
145–78 (.650) (high school)
TournamentsNCAA: 21–28
IIAC/ARC: 63–33
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
16 IIAC/ARC (1997-2008, 2013, 2015-2017)
11 IIAC/ARC Tournament (1998-2003, 2005, 2008-2009, 2013, 2017)
2 NCAA Regional Champion (2000, 2005)
Awards
11x IIAC/ARC Coach of the Year
2x Central Region Coach of the year (2000, 2005)

Joel Holst is a current American baseball coach at Independence HS (IA) in Independence, Iowa, following one year as the head coach of Janesville high school. [1] [2] Holst played college baseball and college football at Coe College from 1981 to 1985. He then served as the head coach at West Delaware high school in Manchester, Iowa before making a stop at Northwest Missouri State as an assistant. He got his first head coaching job at the collegiate level at Loras College before arriving at Wartburg College in 1996. He reached 1000 career wins in 2025 while coaching at Janesville High School. [3]

Contents

Playing career

Holst played both baseball and football for Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was a three starter on both teams. He remains the career record holder for highest batting average at .403. [4] In 2011, Holst was inducted to the Coe College athletic hall of fame. [5]

Coaching career

Loras College

Holst began his first collegiate head coaching job at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1991. He inherited a team with a losing record and finished the 1991 season 5-20. In just 3 years at the helm he would lead them to their first winning record in 12 years following the 1993 season. His best season would come the following year when they would go on to have their first 30 win season in program history. [6] He would leave the Loras Duhawks after 5 seasons with a 100-80 overall record.

Wartburg College

Joel Holst made the move to Wartburg in the fall of 1995. It took him just two years to reach the top of the conference. In just his second season, his 1997 Knights baseball team won 30 games and the conference regular season championship and a birth to the 1997 NCAA Regional. From there they would go on an unprecedented run winning 12 straight championships from 1997 to 2008. [7] In his time at Wartburg he has won over 700 games and 16 championships, his most recent coming in 2017. [8] On May 12, 2018, Holst joined the 800 win club following an 8–4 win over his alma mater, Coe College in the IIAC tournament. [9] In 2020, he was inducted into the Iowa baseball coaches hall of fame. [10] Holst resigned from his position at Wartburg prior to the 2023 season. [11]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Loras Duhawks (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(1991–1995)
1991Loras 5-205-11
1992Loras 15-208-11
1993Loras 22-1210-10
1994Loras 31-1012-42nd
1995Loras 27-188-8T-4th
Loras:100-8043-44
Wartburg Knights (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(1996–2018)
1996Wartburg 20-20-17-94th
1997Wartburg 30–1616-41st NCAA Regional
1998Wartburg 40-1020-41st NCAA Regional
1999Wartburg 33-13-117-61st NCAA Regional
2000Wartburg 41-922-21st College World Series
2001Wartburg 37-9-120-21st NCAA Regional
2002Wartburg 29-1516-51st NCAA Regional
2003Wartburg 33-12-114-61st NCAA Regional
2004Wartburg 30-1515-51st
2005Wartburg 37-1118-31st College World Series
2006Wartburg 27-1511-5T–1st
2007Wartburg 28-1318-5T–1st
2008Wartburg 27-1517-31st NCAA Regional
2009Wartburg 28-2014-104th NCAA Regional
2010Wartburg 25-1917-72nd
2011Wartburg 26-1816-82nd
2012Wartburg 23-2014–103rd
2013Wartburg 35-1020-61st NCAA Regional
2014Wartburg 25-1719-92nd
2015Wartburg 33-1419–51st NCAA Regional
2016Wartburg 34-1324-41st NCAA Regional
2017Wartburg 33-1419-51st NCAA Regional
2018Wartburg 26-1315-62nd
Wartburg Knights (American Rivers Conference)(2019–Present)
2019Wartburg 13-269-157th
2020Wartburg 9-10–0Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021Wartburg 14-2812-206th
2022Wartburg 25-2112-126th
Wartburg:761-408416-176
Total:861-488–4

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. "Janesville CSD Minutes March 2024". Janesville CSD. March 18, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  2. "Independence High School Board Agenda". independence.iowaschoolfinance.com. Independence Community School District. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  3. "Coaches Win Club". iowahsbca.net. Iowa High School Baseball Association. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  4. "Coe Baseball Record Books" (PDF). Coe College. Coe College Athletics. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  5. Zingula, Lonnie (June 8, 2011). "Coe Hall of Fame Adds Six". The Gazette. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  6. "Baseball Coaching Records". Loras College Athletics.
  7. Johnson, Jeff (May 6, 2009). "Wartburg NOT the IIAC Baseball Tourney Favorite". The Gazette. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  8. Petaros, Nick (October 16, 2018). "College baseball: Wartburg secures third consecutive IIAC title". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  9. Kuhens, KatieJo. "Holst Earns 800th Career Win as Knights Go 1-1 Saturday". go-knights.net. Wartburg Athletics. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  10. "IHSBCA Hall of Fame" (PDF). IHSBCA. iowahsbca.net. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  11. https://www.kwwl.com/sports/wartburg-college-baseball-coach-resigns-ahead-of-beginning-of-season/article_cdf79ae8-b47c-11ed-9d33-4f11270e4237.html