Ragsdale High School Athletics today announced the retirement of Deborah Jones, current Athletic Director, after 32 years of dedicated service with Guilford County Schools. Her last official day of service will be May 31st. Ragsdale High School is also pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Holder as the new Athletic Director, following a search process.
Michael Holder, a 1997 graduate of Grimsley High School, brings a diverse background in athletics, education, and professional experience to Ragsdale. He graduated Summa cum Laude from Brevard College in 2010 and earned his Appalachian State School of Education Certification in 2017.
During his time at Grimsley, Mr. Holder was a football player and served as a student athletic trainer under the direction of Joe Franks for four years. His coaching experience includes serving as an Assistant Baseball Coach from 2012 to 2025. He has also been involved in athletic administration, having helped with assistant AD duties since 2020.
In addition to his athletic endeavors, Mr. Holder has spent nine years in the private work world in surveying and Project Engineering. He has also dedicated 14 years to volunteerism and coaching for youth baseball. Mr. Holder is one of four brothers and is the son of Joe and Kathy Holder.
“I am very excited to continue to be an integral part of the Ragsdale family. Our vision is to utilize the foundational strengths and stability built by Debbie Jones and expand our facilities to encourage success. We want to bring our Alumni home. Our mission is to bring the community together to showcase how strong the Ragsdale community is,” said Michael Holder
Quote from Principal, Noel Keener, “Coach Holder exemplifies what we are about at Ragsdale- he is hard-working, has a can-do attitude, and is ALL IN. He believes in the Ragsdale community and believes we can do anything- TOGETHER. We are so excited for this next phase of Ragsdale Athletics! We thank Coach Deborah Jones for working hard over the past 6 years and after COVID to rebuild our athletic culture. Thanks to her, we are ready for what’s next.”
“It has been an honor to serve the students and community of Ragsdale High School for the past 6 years,” said Deborah Jones. “Michel Holder’s varied experiences in athletics and leadership make him an excellent choice to lead Ragsdale Athletics. His deep love for Ragsdale High School, combined with his passion for fostering student-athletes, will undoubtedly elevate our programs and inspire our community. I wish him all the best and look forward to seeing the continued success of our athletic programs under his direction.”
Deborah Jones
Athletic Director, Ragsdale High School