In the era of flashy brand deals and Instagram campaigns, where college athletes drive luxury cars and sign autographs for a paycheck, the biggest challenge may not be landing a sponsorship. It’s staying hungry. With the rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals, student-athletes now have more financial power than ever. But for this legendary coach, the game is bigger than the money. It’s about character. It’s about grit. And most importantly, it’s about making sure his athletes never lose the fire that got them to the top in the first place.

For Coach Holloway, success is not about riding the high of a single championship. No, it’s about sustained excellence. “I didn’t want to be a guy that won a championship and went away,” he said during his appearance on the Tidal League Podcast. That mindset drives his entire philosophy. Holloway’s mission is rooted in the idea that greatness is not a one-time act, but a habit.

In today’s NIL-driven climate, where distractions and dollar signs are plenty, that focus has never been more important. He learned from his own mentors. His mother and Coach Brooks, who taught him to never ease off the gas. That lesson is now at the heart of everything he instills in his athletes. It’s easy for athletes to settle once the money starts flowing. But Holloway sees that as a trap. For him, coaching is not about collecting wins or trophies. It’s about helping athletes become the best version of themselves.

“If I got a chance to coach Justin Gatlin,” Coach Holloway said, “my job was not to get Justin Gatlin to score points for me… my job would have been to get Justin Gatlin to be the best athlete he can be.” And in Holloway’s world, when athletes reach their true potential, the points and the wins take care of themselves. That’s why Holloway’s approach to NIL isn’t about stopping athletes from getting paid.

It’s about keeping their eyes on the bigger prize. He understands the value of opportunity, but he wants his players to recognize that real greatness goes beyond a brand deal or a few thousand dollars. It’s about mindset. And in his program, the standard remains sky-high. Athletes aren’t just coached. They’re challenged, sharpened, and pushed every single day, regardless of their bank account.

In a landscape where many coaches fear NIL will spoil young talent, Coach Holloway is proving the opposite can be true if you lead with purpose. By focusing on long-term development and refusing to let complacency sneak in, he’s creating something more powerful than a championship team. He’s building a culture where hunger is never lost and excellence is the only option. Meanwhile, despite all the ups, NIL does have a significant amount of downs as well.

How NIL is breaking college sports from the inside out

It was supposed to be the dream, a star recruit, a major program, and a seven-figure NIL deal that would set him up before he ever took a snap. But for Jaden Rashada, that dream imploded before kickoff. When a promised NIL contract collapsed, so did his commitment to Florida. Now, the quarterback is suing for millions. A cautionary tale in a world where money now talks louder than loyalty. Rashada’s story is dramatic, but hardly unique. As donor collectives grow more powerful, some wonder whether recruitment is still about football. Or just finances!

Behind the headlines lies a deepening imbalance. The richest schools, fueled by donor-backed NIL collectives, are essentially buying rosters, luring away talent from less affluent programs with promises of cash. It’s no longer just a game. But a financial arms race. And for many players, it’s as disorienting as it is rewarding. “I felt like a pawn,” one anonymous athlete told On3, describing how an NIL negotiation left him questioning who was really in control of his career. For every top prospect cashing in, there are dozens navigating murky deals without the tools or education to protect themselves.

Even inside locker rooms, NIL is reshaping dynamics, and not always for the better. As one coach told The Athletic, “You can’t blame players for chasing the money, but don’t pretend it doesn’t change the room.” Uneven payouts, gender disparities, and the quiet tension between those who profit and those who don’t are redefining the culture of college sports. And not everyone’s winning.

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