University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Sean Hoolihan was the senior quarterback on Bob Nielson’s 1998 football squad that advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III football playoffs. A great coach and a great leader arrived at UWEC in 1996 in the persons of head coach Bob Nielson and quarterback Sean Hoolihan. The success of the Blugold football team took off after a 1-9 finish in 1995. Hoolihan arrived as a transfer from Minnesota State-Mankato where he was a scholarship basketball player. Following his graduation from Spring Valley High School, Hoolihan walked on as a quarterback at the University of Minnesota. Everything clicked for him when he settled down at UWEC. The Blugolds produced consecutive records of 5-5, 7-3 and 10-3, reaching the post-season for the first time in school history in 1998. Hoolihan was a dual threat with his arm and his legs. He completed 60 percent of his passes during his Blugold career, throwing for 6,858 yards and 47 touchdowns. He totaled 1,514 yards rushing, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and scored 14 TDs. He averaged what was then a school record 314 yards of total offense per game as a junior when the Blugolds established school team records for points, first downs, rushing offense and total offense. At the time of his induction, he still ranked among the top three in school career passing yards, passing TDs and total offense. Hoolihan was a two-time All-Conference First Team pick, led the conference in total offense per game in 1996 and 1997 and ranked 12^th nationally in passing efficiency as a junior. In 1997, the Blugolds averaged 528 yards of total offense per game in conference play, 62 yards per game more than the second-place team. Only twice in 10 games that season were they held to less than 40 points.

Hoolihan returned to his hometown of Spring Valley in 2016 and began service as the head girls basketball coach, assistant football coach, assistant varsity track coach, sixth grade social studies teacher and paraeducator. He has had a wide variety of coaching experiences. This has included being a graduate assistant for Bob Nielson at UM-Duluth in 2000, offensive coordinator at Wadena Dear Creek High School in Wadena, Minnesota from 2001-04, head basketball coach at Wadena from 2002-05, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at UW-Stout from 2005-10, head girls basketball coach at Menomonie High School from 2011-15, and quarterbacks coach at Eau Claire Memorial from 2015-16. After graduating from UWEC, Hoolihan played in the German Football League with the Franken Knights. He also played Arena football with the Peoria Pirates and indoor football with the Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks and the La Crosse Night Train.