In the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, there are a handful of men and women who dedicated their entire adult lives to one institution. In this day and age of change and instability, people like Sam B. “Frosty” Holt are truly a thing of the past. A native of Bruners Grove, Tennessee, born August 20, 1902, Holt graduated from Carson-Newman College in 1927 and then went on to serve his alma mater from 1929 until his retirement in 1968 as head football, basketball, and baseball coach. He also headed the school’s physical education and health department, and in the latter part of his career he was athletic director. During his undergraduate days at Carson-Newman, Holt was captain and an outstanding leader in football, basketball, and baseball. He was president of his junior class and voted the “Most Popular Boy” his senior year. His nickname, “Frosty,” was given him by Frank Taylor of Newport after a well-known, good-natured, talkative politician, “Frosty” Lovewell. Carson-Newman College will forever be indebted to Sam B. “Frosty” Holt, a legendary figure who walked those hallowed halls for over forty years.
