Klepto Holmes

Klepto Holmes
Biographical details
Born(1906-03-31)March 31, 1906
Grand Saline, Texas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 26, 1952(1952-02-26) (aged 45)
College Station, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
1927Texas A&M
Position(s)Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1929–1932Texas A&M (line)
1933Cuero HS (TX)
1934Alamo Heights HS (TX)
1935–1950North Texas Aggies / Arlington State
1951Texas A&M (freshmen)
Head coaching record
Overall77–67–5 (junior college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 CTC (1935–1936, 1938)
Awards
First-team All-SWC (1927)

James Gordon "Klepto" Holmes (March 31, 1906 – February 26, 1952) was an American football coach. He was the sixth head football coach at Arlington State College—now known as the University of Texas at Arlington—serving for 16 seasons, from 1935 to 1950.[1]

Holmes earned his nickname while a student at North Texas Agricultural College. While visiting Terrell, Texas for a football game against Texas Military College, he and other students toured the state sanatorium located in Terrell. A female patient at the sanitorium reportedly hugged and kissed Holmes, who was dressed in his cadet uniform, and shouted "Klepto, my kleptomaniac has returned from the war."[2]

Holmes died of a heart attack in 1952.[3]

  1. ^ "Records Of UTA Coaches". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. November 26, 1985. p. 9B. Retrieved November 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ Hall, Flem R. (January 31, 1933). "The Sport Tide". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 13. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "James Holmes Former Cuero Coach Dies". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. February 28, 1952. p. 6. Retrieved April 16, 2016 – via Google News.