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The name “Budenholzer Court” is slated to become part of the Munoz Gym and the ongoing athletic legacy at Holbrook High School (HHS) as a result of a vote by the Holbrook Unified School District (HUSD) Governing Board at their January meeting.
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Superintendent Robbie Koerperich wanted it clearly understood that the Munoz Gym is not being renamed. “We are naming the playing court as a way to honor Coach Vince Budenholzer and his son, Mike Budenholzer, who graduated from Holbrook and has gone on to become the current National Basketball Association (NBA) Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.”
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Koerperich went on to say that the gymnasium was named after Coach Tony Munoz who was the assistant coach to Coach Vince Budenholzer when the HHS basketball team took the state championship in 1971. Vince shared that Munoz was refereeing a state basketball tournament game in 1988 when he collapsed on the floor and failed to revive.
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“Tony was the vice principal at the high school at the time of his death,” said Libby Budenholzer, wife to Vince who also served as a Holbrook city councilwoman from 1975 to 1983, and mayor from 1981 to 1983. “Tony was a wonderful man, who made a huge contribution to the community.” That makes the naming of the court within the Munoz Gym that much more meaningful to Vince and those within HUSD.
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“There is a strong connection between Tony Munoz and Coach Budenholzer,” said Koerperich. “So it is a great victory for everyone; and a celebration for all Roadrunners.”
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Vince said when he received the call from Koerperich, “It was a surprise and certainly an honor. It will not only honor us but the wrestlers, the volleyball girls, the basketball players, everyone who uses that court. And it will honor our son, Mike, who has the best record in the entire NBA league this year. I think it is great that the HUSD wants to make this a celebration for a lot of students and faculty.”
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Born and raised in Belen, N.M., Vince met the love of his life, Libby, at square dance class at New Mexico State University where they were both students.
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Married now for 66 years, Vince and Libby have seven children, all of who played sports and graduated from HHS. After serving from 2001 to 2005 on the Holbrook City Council, Vince decided it was time to pursue the passion both he and Libby love: golfing. In 2009, they moved to Show Low, with a secondary residence in Queen Valley.
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After starting his coaching career in New Mexico, Vince was recruited by Coach Wayne Dillon to move to Holbrook, where Vince spent the next 20 years as the Roadrunner’s head basketball coach.
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While the Roadrunners were the Arizona State 3A basketball champions in 1971, under Vince they were also the 1968 and 1974 state runners-up. In 2005 Vince was inducted into Arizona’s Hall Fame carrying a 323-161 win-loss record with HHS as well as 10 regional championships.
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It was less than 10 years after that induction, that the Budenholzer family was again honored when their son, Mike, a 1988 graduate of HHS, was named the NBA 2014-15 Coach of the Year after just two years of coaching with the Atlanta Hawks.
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Mike credited his father with teaching him how to be a successful coach as well as the mentoring of Coach Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.
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Today, Mike is coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and currently the Bucks have the best record in the NBA for the season.
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Vince shared that Mike was a very successful athlete in high school, playing basketball, baseball, football and even golf. Mike was named the basketball team’s Most Valuable Player in 1986 and 1988 and was HHS’s all-time leading scorer for 19 years. He was a four-year letterman and two-year starter on the Pomona College basketball team in California and was named the Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1993.
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After Mike graduated from HHS, he played for four years while attending Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., before traveling overseas to be both a player and coach for a professional basketball team in Denmark for one year.
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With the passion of basketball coursing through his blood, Mike got a job as the video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs under the guidance of Coach Popovich.
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Holding that position for two years, Mike was named an assistant coach to the Spurs at the beginning of the 1996-97 season, where he continued until he was hired as the coach for the Atlanta Hawks in 2013. Within two years, Mike was named NBA Coach of the Year and in May 2018, he took on the position as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Koerperich said the HUSD is planning a celebration in July for the naming of the playing court. “On the gym floor it will have ‘Budenholzer Court’ written on the floor. Everyone that comes to play for the Roadrunners and against the Roadrunners will be reminded that the Roadrunners can achieve at the highest levels of success if they are willing to put in the time, energy and effort to get there.”
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Vince said Mike is hoping to be at the celebration. “Mike loves Holbrook and is proud of what he and his teammates were able to accomplish.”
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With efforts underway to contact the players from the 1971 Championship, Koerperich is also determined to recognize the 2011 State Championship for the HHS basketball team under the guidance of Coach Raul Mendoza and Assistant Coach Delmar Johnson as well as the other recent championships. “We have the opportunity to recognize not only their successes, but the many Roadrunners who have achieved a high level of success.” Koerperich concluded with, “We have a saying at HUSD that ‘When one Roadrunner succeeds, we all succeed,’ which is what this celebration is all about.”
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