For Cook Holliday, it’s always been about the student-athletes he has been able to work with.
During the recent Georgia High School Association boys state track meet in Jefferson, Holliday once again stressed that point.
“I am someone who has benefited from working with great athletes through the years,” Holliday said. “What I have earned I owe to them.”
Modesty aside, Holliday earned another honor this past week as he was officially inducted as a member of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Dalton.
Previously this year, Holliday was inducted into the Abraham Baldwin College Athletic Hall of Fame. He was already a member of Barrow County Sports Hall of Fame and the Winder-Barrow High School Wall of Fame.
Holliday, 66, is officially retired although he continues to advise athletes in the pole vault. He is now living in Walton County but remains a fixture at local and area track meets.
The long-time coach grew up in Wilcox County and later attended ABAC playing basketball and running track. He later attended the University of Wyoming where he was the record holder in the pole vault for several years.
After finishing his studies and athletic career at Wyoming, Holliday began an ultra successful coaching career at Truetlen High School in Soperton where he won state track titles in 1969, 1971, 1973 and 1974.
Following his state title in 1974, Holliday moved to Winder-Barrow. The school had not won a single meet the previous four years.
Holliday would coach cross country and track in Winder winning a pair of track state titles.
His work with WBHS athletics caused school officials to name the sidewalk around the school Holliday Walk and the school’s annual track meet has been renamed the Cook Holliday Rotary Relays.
The GACS Hall of Fame was established in 2001. Other members inducted this year along with Holliday included Larry Gaither, Jim Hughes, Calvin “Monk” Jones, George Maloof and Graham Woodell.
