Baseball & Basketball
Don Holden played on the Varsity Baseball team at McClancy for four years and the Varsity Basketball team for three years. He joins three of his teammates, John Houlihan, Tom Bardong and Tom Raleigh in the McClancy Hall of Fame. Winning seven varsity letters during his 4 years at McClancy is no small feat. Tom Raleigh described Don as “the best all-around player on both the basketball and baseball teams during the 1964 campaigns.” Other teammates spoke highly of his leadership qualities; of how he took charge on the court and infield and of how he would get everyone involved in the game.
As a guard on the first winning team in McClancy history, Don averaged 15 points per game leading the team in assists as the Crusaders marched that year to a 14 and 6 record. Molloy, Holy Cross, St. Francis Prep, Brooklyn Prep, Bishop Loughlin and Xaverian were among the schools McClancy beat for the very first time during the 1963/64 season.
A four year .300 hitter Don starred on the McClancy baseball team, being named as the CHSAA outstanding first baseman on the Tablet Scholastic Team his junior and senior years. Teammate Steve Lucadamo said of the all-star first baseman and backcourt mainstay, “The baseball and basketball teams of 1964 generated great student response and Don was an important part of this. His personality and good sportsmanship helped sell these teams to the student body.” Don was presented with the Student Athlete Award at the 1964 graduation ceremony.
As a coach at McClancy from 1969 through 1973, after graduating from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont North Carolina where he played basketball and baseball, Don took great pride in developing McClancy athletes on the freshman and junior varsity levels. He credits George Bruns with teaching him what he knows about coaching. “I have never met a coach with Bruns’ in-depth knowledge of and dedication to the two sports that I grew up playing as a kid. George taught me how to communicate my expectations of players in a respectful, professional way.” A number of Don’s players are members of McClancy’s Hall of Fame of which he is very proud.
After a successful 20 year career as a government bond broker on Wall Street, Don served as the Associate Development Director at McClancy High School. He is currently working for Semple-Bixel Associates. He and his wife Diana live in Port Washington NY and have raised 5 children, Todd, Kiva, Brian, Heather and Kari.