Washburn University Athletics

Brenda Holaday enters her ninth season as the Ichabod softball head coach entering the 2024-25 school year. In eight seasons Holaday has recorded a 252-149 overall record going 123-63 in MIAA contests leading the Ichabods to two MIAA regular season championships in 2018 and 2022 while leading the program to three of its six NCAA postseason in 2018, 2022 and 2024.

In 2022, the Ichabods won their third MIAA Championship going 24-2 in the MIAA reaching the MIAA Tournament Championship game and the NCAA postseason as Holaday was named the MIAA Coach of the Year for the second time in her tenure at Washburn. 

Overall in eight seasons, Washburn has had 39 all-MIAA picks, one MIAA Player of the Year, one MIAA Pitcher of the Year, two MIAA Freshmen of the Year and 18 all-region selections and six All-American picks and five members of the MIAA Gold Glove team.

Holaday's teams also shine in the classroom as 15 student athletes have recorded 4.0 grade point averages and 96 student athletes honored on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and 22 Scholar Athlete all-MIAA picks. Her teams have also had six CSC Academic All-American selections and eight CSC Academic All-District pics. The squad also had 77 selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-America Scholar Athlete honor roll.

The on and off the field success has also lead to facility improvements at the Washburn softball complex including a complete construction of two dugouts, as well as new batting cages, more storage areas as well as a complete artificial turf field beginning in 2019-20, one of three fully-turfed fields in the MIAA and prior to the 2021 season, lights were added to the complex as well. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, a complete clubhouse directly off of the first base dugout with locker room, coaching area, meeting room and additional storage areas were also completed as well as a viewing deck in left field for fans. Before the 2025 season started, a new padded fence was built adding to player safey and a new scoreboard was installed as well updating the previous LED board.

Following the COVID-shortened 2020 season the Ichabods went 28-18 in 2021 going 15-5 in home games recording their fourth-straight winning season. Individually, Holaday coached an All-American, four all-region selections and five all-MIAA selections including the freshman of the year in the league. 

Holaday started at Washburn on July 18, 2016.

The 2020 season came to an end after 27 games as the Ichabods finished 14-13 winning seven of their last 10 games only getting to play four MIAA contests. There was no all-MIAA squad selected but the Ichabods continued their outstanding work in the classroom placing 17 student athletes on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and one of the MIAA Academic Excellence listing.

In 2019, the Ichabods placed seven players on the all-MIAA squad including two first team selections, two second team picks and three honorable mention all-league selections. 

In 2018, the Washburn program improved 14 wins  over Holaday's first season capturing the first MIAA title since the 2002 season while earning an NCAA postseason berth for the first time since 2008. For her efforts leading the Ichabods, Holaday was recognized as the MIAA Coach of the Year as Washburn won the league title by four games. In 2018, Washburn also had the MIAA Pitcher of the Year in Megan Deiter and MIAA Freshman of the Year in Bri Francis as well as three first team all-MIAA selections, three second team picks and two honorable mention all-conference selections. The postseason awards continued in year two with four all-region selections as well as 12 academic all-MIAA picks, three MIAA scholar athletes and an CoSIDA Academic All-American honoree.

In her first season after taking over the program Holaday led the Ichabods to a 25-30 overall mark and a 12-14 record in the MIAA improving six wins overall and four wins in conference play just missing a spot in the MIAA postseason tournament.

After her first season in the Ichabod dugout, three players were named all-MIAA including one first team selection. Washburn also had its first NFCA all-region pick for the first time since the 2015 season under Holaday's guidance.

Holaday, who coached 19 seasons at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, recorded a 351-93 record leading the Junior Blues to three 6A state championships as well as winning 14 league championships earning 16 6A state tournament berths, five second-place state finishes and three third-place state finishes. 

She was named the Centennial League Coach of the Year and City Coach of the Year nine different times earning the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in 2011 and the 6A Kansas Coach of the year two times in 2008 and 2011 and was named the overall Kansas Coach of the Year in 2011.

 While at Washburn Rural, Holaday coached more than 40 players who have gone on to play college softball including three at the NCAA Division I level.

Also successful in the classroom, her teams at Washburn Rural have received the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Academic Team Award eight of the 10 years the award has been in existence and has finished in the top 10 schools in the country three times.

Holaday served as the chair of the NFCA national high school All-American committee and the Kansas 6A All-State selection committee as well as the NFCA South Central Region selection committee.

While coaching at Washburn Rural, Holaday was also the school's counseling department dean for 23 years and was inducted into the WRHS Hall of Fame in 2018.

She holds degrees in Secondary Education from Kansas State and her Master's of Science in Education, Counseling Psychology from Kansas.

Holaday was a member of the Kansas State softball team from 1981 to 1983 and she lives in Topeka. Her son Mitchell graduated from Kansas State in December of 2017.