Newly hired Wildcards coach holding onto local roots
By Calvin Silvers
The community of St. Joseph holds a special place in many hearts, and that rings true for former St. Joseph Mustang and Mid-Buchanan assistant coach Brady Holden. The outfielder has seen some success as both a player and coach, and it has all been done right here in the area.
The feelings and memories that Northwest Missouri has given Holden have made it hard for him to leave, and with a new head coaching job starting next spring, he’ll once again remain near home.
“St. Joe’s always been my home as I played college ball here, I played with the Mustangs, and now give lessons here in St. Joe,” Holden said. “I’ve had high school jobs, and both have been in the area, so yeah, I love St. Joe and that’s where I like to be.”
Holden became a well-known name around the community as his high school career was played at Mid-Buchanan, before joining Missouri Western and eventually the Mustangs. He returned to his alma mater for two years with the Dragons as an assistant, reaching the Class 3 State championship.
Now, the young man will become a head coach for the Stewartsville-Osborn Wildcards.
“Very blessed for the opportunity they gave me,” Holden said. “I learned a ton from coach Davenport and just being around that group of guys was a lot of fun. You know, that’s where I went to school, so I enjoyed that a lot, but now getting to move on and do something of my own is a good privilege.”
But Holden’s first dip into head coaching won’t come easy, as he’ll take over a Wildcards program that went 2-13 last season, and in 10 of those 15 games, the team saw less than 4 runs.
However, Holden will be gifted a young roster, meaning with some proper development, this team could be in good hands in a couple of years. More importantly, he’ll be able to shape and mold the kind of culture he wants to see from these young men.
“The only way to go is up,” Holden said. “We’re going to come in, we’re going to set the foundation, try to have a lot of fun, create, you know, a fun environment to be around. We can build on, you know, what they already know and what we need to work on.”
