For the first time in two decades, BYU will be searching for a new athletic director.

Tom Holmoe, who announced he plans to retire at the end of the 2024-25 athletic season, played a pivotal role in helping the Cougars join the Big 12 Conference during his 20-year tenure at the school. Seeing BYU successfully transition from FBS independent to membership in a power conference became one of his overriding goals as athletic director.

Having accomplished that goal, he thinks the time is right to step aside and let someone else take the reins.

“I just believe that this is a really good time to make a smooth and effective and powerful transition,” Holmoe told reporters on Wednesday. “I see that the pieces are in place for us to continue to really thrive. The Big 12 has been a special blessing for all our teams. We all believe in the Big 12 and the leadership of the Big 12.”

Holmoe was a former 49ers defensive back and later was Cal’s head football coach.

Holmoe was hired as BYU’s athletic director on March 1, 2005. He played for BYU’s football team from 1978-82.

The 49ers selected Holmoe in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL Draft and he spent all seven of his NFL seasons in San Francisco. Holmoe played on three Super Bowl-winning teams with the 49ers before retiring from pro football at the age of 30. He moved into coaching, with stints as an assistant at BYU, Stanford, Cal and the 49ers before being promoted to Cal’s head coach in 1997. Holmoe coached the Bears for five seasons, posting a career record of 16-39 (.291).

Flag football

NCAA closer to adding women’s flag football >> The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics has recommended that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.

The committee’s recommendation gives all three divisions an opportunity to sponsor legislation that would move the fast-growing sport through NCAA governance structures.

A sport must have a minimum of 40 schools sponsoring the sport at the varsity level and meet minimum contest and participation requirements to be considered for championship status.

At least 65 NCAA schools are sponsoring women’s flag football at the club or varsity levels this year, with more slated to join in 2026. Flag football also has been added as a sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

College football

UNLV player found dead >> UNLV senior offensive lineman Ben Christman, who transferred after last season from Kentucky, has died, the university announced.

Christman, who was 21, was found dead in an off-campus apartment on Tuesday morning. The university said it didn’t have other details and a cause of death would later be determined by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

Christman began his college career at Ohio State as a highly ranked prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He redshirted that season and played in one game in 2022 before transferring to Kentucky.

Patricia to run Ohio State’s defense >> Ohio State is hiring former Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship, agreed in principle last year to a seven-year contract valued at $12.5 million per year.

Day is hiring Patricia to fill the void left by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles leaving for the same job at Penn State.