Holland retiring as director of athletics for LLS

LOS LUNAS — “Because I’m old,” Wilson Holland said with a laugh, explaining why he is retiring as Los Lunas Schools director of athletics after 15 years. “I’ve been in education for 34 years--It’s time to let someone else do it,” Holland, 56, said.

That someone else, at least in the short-term, will be William “Bill” Hays, 34, who has worked as a teacher, administrator, athletic coach and in other positions in LLS for eleven years.

“I’m excited to work with our schools and athletic programs, to keep things rolling,” said Hays, who most recently was an academic coach. “I think Mr. Holland has done a great job with what he built here at Los Lunas Schools.” Hays says that he is “definitely” interested in the position when it opens full-time.

When that will be hasn’t been set. “I just haven’t submitted a date yet,” Holland said of his retirement paperwork. Meanwhile, “I’ll be taking some time off.”

Late Friday afternoon, the change in leadership was announced, with Susan Chavez, interim superintendent, naming Hays to the position. “Right now, Wilson is going to be out for an extended amount of time so that’s why it’s interim,” Chavez said about Hays’ position.

“The district needs somebody to cover the day-to-day function of that role.” Chavez added that “This was all Mr. Holland’s decision” to retire.

“It’s 100 percent my decision,” Holland emphasized. Holland, 56, said he recently had been discussing retirement with district administrators. “I can do some of the things I didn’t get to do when I was watching other people’s kids play.”

That includes spending more time with his granddaughter, daughter Jordan, who is studying to be an orthopedic surgeon, and watch his son Jalin, who will play basketball next season at the University of Colorado.

As for accomplishments, Holland is proud of the grade point averages of athletes at Los Lunas and Valencia, the estimated 12 state championships won by LLHS and VHS during his tenure and starting tennis and power lifting programs. “We’ve done some things that Los Lunas can be very proud of.”

Holland wishes on-site tennis courts would have been constructed at the high schools and, working with the village of Los Lunas, a pool built for easier access for the swim teams.

Those efforts will be left for others. Hays, in his interim role, says his immediate responsibilities are making sure schedules are set and “working with the school sites to see what is needed and where we need to go to finish off the school year.”

According to Chavez, “We are ready to continue to support programs at both Los Lunas High School and Valencia High School, and the middle schools.”