Bob Holt, who lit up the SEC with warmth as ubiquitous Arkansas reporter, dies at 65

Bob Holt, who spent more than four decades covering Arkansas sports and the SEC for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, died on Wednesday night.

He was 65.

Holt collapsed on his way back to the press box after covering Arkansas loss at Missouri on Saturday, according to the Democrat-Gazette .

Holt joined the Democrat-Gazette in 1981 and became a fixture across the SEC known best for his curiosity and kindness.

In 2014, AL.com coined him the most curious reporter at SEC Media Days .

He was a larger-than-life character who became that way just by doing his job and doing it well.

Advertisement In 2022, he was inducted into Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.

He has four times been named Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association and is nominated for the award again this year.

Bob Holt was a legend in the Southeastern Conference media corps and a friend to everyone, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement .

He played a starring role in our annual football media days and I will miss hearing him challenge our coaches with both insightful questions and witty retorts.

He will be missed in press boxes and press rows across the SEC.

pic.twitter.com/KEHbNdSOkR Hunter Yurachek (@HunterYurachek) December 5, 2024 Holt never married and didnt have children but left behind countless memories of those whose lives he impacted in big and small ways, from his brilliant wit to his willingness to lend a helping hand.

As Bobby Petrino neck brace, road rash and all left his infamous 2012 press conference discussing the motorcycle accident that would lead to the messy end of Petrinos run as Arkansas head coach, a reporter trailed the three of them as he left, pressing Petrino on details few knew about one of the wildest stories in college football history.

Former Arkansas administrators Jeff Long and Jon Fagg couldnt remember who had done it.

I was working on a story about Petrinos wild ride at Arkansas and knew exactly who would remember.

Bob Holt.

He covered the Hogs for 40 years.

If it happened on The Hill, he was there for it and chronicled it for readers in the paper the next day.

At the time of my story, the press conference had happened over a decade earlier.

One reporter following Petrino was such a minute detail.

But Holt had an eye for it.

Before Arkansas played Alabama in 2022, I made my way over to Holt and asked him if there was any chance he remembered that.

Advertisement Oh yeah, that was Larry Henry, Holt said.

He used to work for Channel 5 here in town.

He works for Gambling.com now.

A few minutes later, he stopped by my seat in the press box.

On a hand-scribbled note was Henrys cell phone number.

I grew up in Arkansas and knew of Bob but never covered the Razorbacks on the day-to-day.

We were acquaintances but never broke bread together.

He still went out of his way to help me way more than he needed to.

As much of a character as he became thanks to his omnipresence at media days and other SEC events, Holt was a true journalist.

He wouldnt let coaches and administrators skate with canned answers.

One example: During James Franklins tenure at Vanderbilt, the Commodores were about to secure bowl eligibility, and Holt started to ask Franklin about it on the SECs weekly teleconference.

But Franklin had another agenda.

Our focus is on (whoever the next opponent is), so when you ask about that other thing, I dont know what youre talking about, Franklin said, in a firm and clear way that he surely thought would end the matter.

Holt, of course, was undaunted.

I mean that youll be bowl eligible if you win the game, he said.

Franklin, surprised, paused a beat, then went back to his talking point.

I dont know what youre talking about, he said.

And of course Holt didnt relent.

Youll be bowl eligible if you win this game, so I was curious if ...

I dont know what youre talking about.

Finally, the SEC moderator put a stop to it.

But that was typical Holt: He would stand up to coaches and administrators in such an endearing way that nobody seemed to hold it against him.

One of my favorite Bob Holt moments still to this day.

https://t.co/JZSmUkIpj5 John Nabors (@JohnNaborsShow) December 5, 2024 A few years later, Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt was making his first appearance at 2018 media days, the latest man hoping to attempt to bring the Volunteers back to glory.

The first time a coach goes up at the podium can often feel like an audition.

Sure, theyve been doing press conferences for months by July, but this is the first one in front of the whole club.

Advertisement During a week that featured more colorful debuts from coaches like Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State, Pruitt delivered a dry, monotone monologue and didnt give the media much to work with during the Q&A either.

When it was over, Holt got up and walked over to a group of fellow reporters.

I didnt think much of him.

He said it in the sweetest voice possible, but it was shocking to hear from Bob.

That was the coldest thing Holt could say.

Pruitt was out at Tennessee within three years.

Holt spent every day chronicling Arkansas sports, but the 1,000-plus reporters who showed up to SEC media days each year got a front-row seat to watch Bob do his job from his own front-row seat at the leagues signature media event.

This year, the SECs event will be back in Atlanta.

Without Bob, it wont be the same.

Bob brought a smile to every conversation.

We are sad to have lost him but are grateful for the memories.

At 2025 SEC Football Media Days we need to leave the first question unasked as Bob often provided that first question.

We all will miss Bob.

https://t.co/t0vfSKEKW5 Greg Sankey (@GregSankey) December 5, 2024 The Athletics Seth Emerson contributed to this story.

Required reading In a year without SEC media days, media cult hero Bob Holts presence is missed most (published July 2020) (Photo of Izzy Gould (left) and Bob Holt (right) courtesy of Izzy Gould / AL.com).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5972156/2024/12/05/bob-holt-who-lit-up-the-sec-with-warmth-as-ubiquitous-arkansas-reporter-dies-at-65/