KHSAA Hall of Famer Hollowell dies at 81

Mojo Hollowell, who won 305 games during a 46-year high school football coaching career, died Tuesday in Bowling Green. He was 81.

Mr. Hollowell, who was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2001, coached at Owensboro Catholic, Henderson County, Union County and Madisonville in Kentucky in addition to John Marshall in Indianapolis.

"He was a good guy, and he not only taught you about football, but about life, and you enjoy being around those kind of coaches," John Edge, Catholic's head football coach who played for Mr. Hollowell in the early 1990s, told the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. "But he was definitely old-school when it came to playing. Our practices would go for two straight hours or more, and there were constant drills where you were going to hit.

"We'd be out there until 6:30, 7 p.m. and still hitting."

In 38 seasons as a head coach in Kentucky, Hollowell's teams posted a 285-158-6 record. When Mr. Hollowell resigned as Catholic's coach in 2001, he was second in career wins in the state, trailing only Joe Jaggers, whose record was 292-105-3 in 33 seasons.

Overall, Mr. Hollowell's teams went 305-187-7.

"I think we thought he'd make an impact, but we really didn't have any idea the impact he would have," said Harold Staples, who recently retired as Catholic High principal and was involved in Hollowell's hiring. "He brought a new approach of responsibility, accountability."

This story was originally published July 7, 2010 at 10:34 PM with the headline "KHSAA Hall of Famer Hollowell dies at 81."