Matt Hollod enters his eighth season coaching at Northwest Nazarene in the 2025-26 academic year, serving as the team's pitching coach. After four seasons as an assistant coach, Hollod was promoted to Associate Head Coach in August 2022.
Hollod helped elevate the NNU baseball program to new heights in 2025, achieving the best overall season of any Northwest Nazarene team, regardless of sport, in the school's 24-year NCAA Division II history. The Nighthawks finished the year with a record of 46-16, claiming the GNAC Regular Season Championship, GNAC Tournament Championship, and NCAA West Region Championship, and winning two games in Cary to advance farther than any NNU team at the DII Baseball Championships. Hollod's pitching staff finished the year 18th in the nation with a 4.27 ERA, fifth with eight shutouts, fifth with a 2.72 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 13th with a 1.38 WHIP, and fourth with 3.00 walks allowed per nine innings. A pair of pitchers, Ernesto Lugo-Canchola and Cole Calnon, earned consensus All-America honors from the four outlets, including D2Baseball naming Lugo-Canchola the National Pitcher of the Year and Calnon the National Two-Way Player of the Year. They were both also consensus First Team All-Region performers and, with Calnon named the GNAC Pitcher of the Year and Lugo-Canchola the GNAC Newcomer of the Year. Three other pitchers joined the duo on the 2025 All-GNAC teams.
During the 2024 season, Hollod's pitching staff was among the best in the nation, as the team led all of Division II with just 2.09 walks allowed per nine innings. NNU was also third nationally with a 2.98 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fifth with a 1.27 WHIP, and 31st with a 4.51 ERA. Closer Wade Duncan earned First Team All-Region honors from the NCBWA, while starter Kyle Ethridge was a consensus All-Region performer and the GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Year.
In 2022, Hollod had two pitchers, Max Holtzclaw and Haden Keller, earn All-Region honors and four total receive All-GNAC selections. His staff set new program records for strikeouts with 490, strikeouts per nine innings with 10.15, and saves with 16. The strikeouts per nine innings mark was 14th in the nation, strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.12 was seventh nationally, and WHIP of 1.35 was 16th across Division II.
Following NNU's run to the NCAA Championships in 2021, two members of Hollod's pitching staff, Max Holtzclaw and Kyle Ethridge, were named consensus First Team All-Region and All-GNAC selections, while Blake McFadden also earned one All-Region nod and All-GNAC honors. As a team, NNU set new program records for strikeouts (400), strikeouts per nine innings (9.58), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.39), walks allowed per nine innings (2.83), and WHIP (1.27). The Nighthawks led the West Region in each of those five categories, as well as pacing the region with a 4.48 team ERA. Even more impressively, the strikeout-to-walk ratio was sixth in the nation and the walks allowed per nine innings mark was seventh across Division II.
In just the last few years, Hollod has had five of his pitchers sign professional contracts: Blake McFadden, Ty Pohlman, Cole Calnon, Haden Keller, and Sasha Jabusch.
"Coach Hollod has been one of the most impressive coaches I have had in my baseball career," said 2022 graduate Max Holtzclaw. "His ability to get the best out of each player is unmatched. He allows his players to have freedom in their training and preparation while continually giving helpful insight. He is not afraid to get players' opinions on how the program should be molded and does a great job listening. His knowledge of the game and ability to manage big game situations is shown regularly."
Before NNU, Hollod spent the previous two years as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for Riverside College in Riverside, CA. The 2017 pitching staff put together one of the school's best pitching seasons in recent memory. A team earned run average of 2.83 was 3rd best in the state. In 375 innings pitched, the Tigers walked only 79 batters which was best in the country, and also allowed fewer runs than any other team. The 2018 campaign was another solid season as the Tigers put together a 3.63 team earned average.
Prior to Riverside, Hollod spent one year at Division I California State Northridge as the Director of Player Development and Operations. At Northridge, Hollod oversaw all statistical analysis, managed team travel, recruiting visits, and led fundraising events. Hollod was instrumental in doubling the profits from the programs annual alumni weekend.
Hollod served as head coach at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania from 2013-2015. At Wilkes, Hollod took over a last place program with a roster of 23 players and a team ERA of a 7.83. In three seasons, Hollod helped turn Wilkes into a playoff contender with a roster that increased to 35 players, a team ERA that was lowered to 4.79 and a victory over a #8 nationally ranked team. Twelve Colonels were named to the Freedom All-Conference team during his tenure.
In the fall of 2015, Hollod brought in the biggest recruiting class in the program's history. Off the field, Hollod implemented year around strength and conditioning programs for his athletes, both throwing and hitting programs. Furthermore, he created camps on campus for both high school and youth kids. Both programs and camps were a first for Wilkes University. Additionally, with the help and support of the university administration and president, Hollod spearheaded a facility upgrade that included a 30-foot tall, navy blue wall built in left field with a padded wall extended around to right field.
Prior to Wilkes, Hollod served as associate head baseball coach at DeSales University for two seasons. He handled recruiting duties for the team and worked with the pitching staff. In his two seasons with DeSales, Hollod helped lower the team ERA from 6.16 to 4.18.
"Coach Hollod really knows how to handle a pitching staff. He played a huge role in our pitchers development during his two years here, and did the same at Wilkes where he turned that program into a competitor very quickly." ~ Tim Neiman, Head Baseball Coach at DeSales University.
Prior to DeSales, Hollod served as an assistant coach at Willamette University in 2009 and at the University of Portland from 2003 to 2008. With the Pilots, Hollod helped recruit for Portland from 2006 to 2008 and he was instrumental in the program signing five All-Conference players as well as one All-American freshman.
"Matt was instrumental in attracting several of our key players, some of whom went on to enjoy all-conference and national recognition". Chris Sperry- former head coach at Portland.
At Portland, Hollod also helped set up an in-state rivalry match-up against former NCAA National Champion Oregon State at PGE Park in 2008. Hollod arranged and coordinated the 2009 Rose City Classic as well, featuring the Portland Pilots, Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies and Hawai'i Warriors. He served as a representative for the university at the annual LPGA Safeway Classic fundraising events while performing other duties including managing the team budget and scheduling and implementing his fall hitting school for the first time at the university.
Hollod has had the privilege of working with more than 40 players who have gone on to play professionally, with seven of those players currently playing at the big league level.
Hollod also has extensive summer coaching experience. Hollod has spent six seasons as a head coach for both the Willmar Stingers (Northwoods League) and the Fayetteville Swamp Dogs (Coastal Plain League). From 2010-2013 for the Stingers, Hollod tallied 160 wins, which put him in the top 10 all-time in the league. His .573 winning percentage was also the second-highest in the league's history. In two seasons in Fayetteville (17-18'), Hollod led the Swamp Dogs to two playoff appearances.
Prior to his coaching career, Hollod was a four-time letter winner in baseball at the University of Washington and the University of Portland. During his freshman year at Washington, the Huskies won the Pac-10 Championship. He was an All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention during his junior season with Portland where he was a consistent starter for the Pilots on the mound. As a hitter, Hollod was one of the conference's top hitters during his final season.
Before college, Hollod played at Mark Morris High School in Longview, Washington. Hollod resides in Meridian with his wife, Tra-My, and daughters Amelia and Everley.
