Meet New Athletic Leaders and Coaches
Tonya Holmes
Director of Athletics
Tonya Holmes has been tapped to lead the next era in Gibbons athletics as the school’s athletic director.
“I’m thrilled to officially welcome Tonya to this new role,” Dean Monroe, director of athletic legacy and major gifts, said. “I’ve seen firsthand how talented she is, and I fully trust her to take our program to the next level.”
Monroe, who served as athletic director from 1990 to 2012, said motivating students comes naturally to Holmes.
“She has a God-given ability to lead and inspire our students,” she said. “They are drawn to her kind and caring nature, but know she demands respect and challenges them to be the best whether in the classroom or on the field.”
Holmes earned a master’s of sports management with a focus in athletic administration from Lasell University. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida, where she played collegiate volleyball and coached at the Orlando Volleyball Academy.
She cut her teeth in athletic administration at Saint Mary’s School, where she served as the assistant director of athletics from 2014 to 2017. Holmes has also coached hundreds of Triangle residents at the Triangle Volleyball Club throughout the past decade.
Holmes began her Gibbons career as the director of student engagement before becoming the assistant athletic director. She was elevated to the role of senior associate athletic director this academic year. Holmes also serves as the school’s head volleyball coach.
She replaces Todd Schuler, who has served as athletic director for a decade. Schuler and his family are relocating to Colorado, where he will serve as the athletic director at Regis Jesuit High School in Colorado.
Paul Smith
Assistant Director of Athletics
Paul Smith will return home to join the team as the Assistant Director of Athletics beginning June 1. A 2001 Gibbons graduate, he is currently serving as interim director of athletics at Tatnall School in Wilmington, Delaware.
The head coach of the Tatnall girl’s basketball team, Smith was named Northern Delaware Coach of the Year for Basketball in 2018. Smith has also served as the head coach of the golf team since 2018.
Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from N.C. State University and his master’s from Arizona State. He is completing a graduate certificate in sports management and athletics from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Greg Mader
Head Coach, Men's Soccer
Greg Mader, a familiar face among the Gibbons soccer community, is stepping into the role of head coach of the men’s soccer team. A 2007 graduate, Mader has been a part of the school’s soccer program at various levels for years, most recently serving as interim head coach and leading the team to the East regional final.
A standout soccer player during his time at Gibbons, Mader went on to play collegiately at Elon University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in math. He also has a Ph.D. in biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology from North Carolina State University.
A team captain, Mader was named team MVP and conference player of the year en route to a state championship in 2006.
Brandon Palmer
Head Coach, Wrestling
Brandon Palmer will be the next head coach for the wrestling team. For more than a decade, Palmer has served as the coach at Durham’s Riverside High School.
During his tenure at Riverside, Palmer coached four state championship wrestlers.
A Riverside graduate, Palmer holds the state record for both the most career and the most single-season takedowns. He finished his high school career as the winningest wrestler in North Carolina history at the time, recording a 218-20 record.
He was also a two-time NAIA national qualifier at William Penn University in Iowa.