Governor Stitt Appoints OSU Legend Mike Holder to Board of Regents, Calls Special Session

Today, Governor Kevin Stitt named former Oklahoma State University athletic director Mike Holder to the OSU Board of Regents. This move comes after the Senate failed to confirm business owner and agriculture leader Susan Bergen to the post. The Governor has also ordered the Senate only to convene in a special session to confirm this appointment.

"I’m thrilled that Mike Holder, a golf legend in Oklahoma and an integral part of OSU’s athletic legacy, is willing to serve his state and his alma mater on the Board of Regents,” Governor Stitt said. “He was one of the driving forces behind the construction of Boone Pickens Stadium and has already left a lasting mark on the OSU campus. He will bring a wealth of experience and wisdom to this board. I look forward to the Senate promptly confirming him in special session."

"It’s too bad the Senate wouldn’t confirm Susan Bergen to the OSU Board of Regents. She’s a successful businesswoman, a philanthropist, and a leader in the Oklahoma agricultural community. She would have been a great addition to the board."

Mike Holder is a central figure in Oklahoma State’s current athletic resurgence. He served as Vice President for Athletic Programs and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Oklahoma State University from 2005 until his retirement in 2021.

In his 32 years of leading his alma mater’s golf program, he transformed the program and made great progress in fundraising, facility development, and the academic performance of his student-athletes.

Those same leadership skills have served him well as he led OSU’s athletic department. He was a driving force behind the iconic Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU won five national team championships under Holder’s watch, raising the school’s championship count to 56 — the fourth-best total in the country and tops in the Big 12 Conference. With Holder serving as athletic director, 11 different OSU teams have combined to win 46 Big 12 team titles.

Holder, a graduate of Ardmore High School, earned his degree in marketing from Oklahoma State in 1970 and completed work on his MBA at OSU in 1973.

See Governor Stitt’s executive order calling a special session here and the appointment order here.