Sherwood turns to Jeff Holda to lead its boys high school basketball program

After one season as an assistant with the Lancers, Holda will succed Tom Sheahin with the Montgomery County program

Jeff Holda, shown with his daughter and some of his former players during his days as head coach at Gaithersburg High School, is now the new boys basketball head coach at Sherwood High School. / Jeff Holda

Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Maryland has a new head coach to lead the boys basketball program. 

The Montgomery County Public School has announced the hiring of Jeff Holda who joined Tom Sheahin’s coaching staff for the 2024-2025 campaign. 

Earlier this year, Sheahin announced on social media that he was stepping down as head coach after 495 career wins in Montgomery County. Prior to Sherwood, Sheahin served as head coach at his alma mater Seneca Valley and also had a stint as head coach at Gaithersburg. 

Sheahin spent eight years at Sherwood and guided the Warriors to a 22-2 record including an appearance in the Maryland Class 3A state championship game this year. 

Sheahin and Holda also coached together at Gaithersburg and Holda replaced him as the Trojans’ head coach when Sheahin stepped down a decade ago. 

Holda has coached boys basketball in Montgomery County for 19 seasons including 18 seasons at Gaithersburg where he coached future NBA players Malcolm Miller and Jordan Hawkins. 

Miller, who played collegiately at Holy Cross, won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. 

Meanwhile, Hawkins, who began his high school basketball career at Gaithersburg before transferring to DeMatha, guided UCONN to an NCAA championship in 2023 and was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the NBA Draft that year. 

“Coach Holda brings not only an exceptional coaching resume but also a deep understanding of what it takes to build a competitive and character-driven program,” said Sherwood Athletic Director Jason Woodward. “We are thrilled to welcome him into this new role and are confident in the direction he will take our program.”