Holley coached 51 seasons, including 48 as a college head coach at Jewell. He compiled a 918-577 record, making him the all-time winningest coach among Missouri four-year colleges. He spent 40 seasons coaching the men's basketball program at William Jewell College with his teams earning a 831-458 record. He led 14 teams to the NAIA Tournament. Four of those teams reached the NAIA Final Four and three advanced to the Elite Eight. His teams also won 11 Heart of America Athletic Conference regular-season crowns. He also guided 25 William Jewell teams to 20-win seasons. His program produced 24 All-Americans. A graduate of Jameson High School and William Jewell, Holley coached one year at Harrisburg and six seasons at Central Methodist (61-93) and two seasons at Northwest Missouri State (26-26) before taking over at William Jewell in 1979. He is a 2009 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Holley retired from William Jewell College on March 3, 2019, following the conclusion of his 40^th season. He graduated from Jewell is 1967 and was the recipient of the Cecil Martin Award for Male Athlete of the Year as a senior. 
 
Along with Holley, 16 individuals and teams will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally, Killian Construction will be presented the Founder's Award, Larry O'Reilly will receive the President's Award while the Summit Award will be presented to Sharyn Wagoner. The highlights of the January Enshrinement presented by Killian Construction, is set for 5 p.m. on Sunday, January 26 at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield. Festivities include an 11 a.m. reception presented by Reliable Toyota at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and a 4 p.m. reception at University Plaza.