Contact & Bio
About "Coach Red" Holzbach
Contact: redlyceum@gmail.com
“Coach Red” Holzbach
“Red” was my grandfather’s name. I inherited it again, in a sense, when I had two daughters with red hair. “Coach Red” is my way of putting the focus on being a particular kind of teacher.
I had coaches who believed in my potential when I was dead last on the team. Their belief helped me envision a better version of myself. Decades later, those coaches are still voices in my head — sometimes cautioning, sometimes inspiring, always asking a little more of me. The process never really ends.
I double-majored in Economics and Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh and later earned an MSc from the London School of Economics, living in London for two years. While there, I was a frequent patron of the National Poetry Library on the Thames. Twenty-four years later, I was thrilled to return to that same stretch of London as a Groundling at Shakespeare’s Globe, watching The Taming of the Shrew with my daughters.
Literature has remained part of my life ever since. I have been a member of the Poetry Discussion Group at the Boston Athenaeum for 18 years and have participated in multiple week-long summer seminars with the Great Books Institute at Colby College. I have also homeschooled all four of my daughters.
I credit the deep reading, discussion, and writing behind this course with helping several of my daughters achieve top-1% scores in English and Reading on the ACT, which in turn helped them receive more than $400,000 in college merit scholarships.
His approach invites students into a grand conversation. By focusing on primary texts and shared inquiry, he empowers learners to develop their own analytical muscles and find their place within the history of ideas.
Why Red Lyceum?
My literature course rolls the clock back, unapologetically, to an era of more ambitious educational expectations. It offers the broad literature survey that was once considered part of our common educational bedrock.
It is particularly well suited to homeschoolers. One of the great advantages of homeschooling is control over time, and serious reading, writing, and conversation are among the best possible uses of that freedom. Students read independently during the week, usually arrive eager to discuss what they have encountered, and often leave class inspired to write about it.
My oldest daughter took an earlier version of the course. Years later, she told me:
“My biggest flex in college was telling people who complained about their high school literature classes that I had loved mine. My class has my fondest memories of book discussions to this day, and I’m forever grateful for the challenging questions that were asked of me.”
I cannot repay all the teachers and coaches who helped my children and me. But I can try to pass on the best humanities education I know how to give to the next generation.
It is a program designed for the student who wants to be challenged, the parent who values classical methodology, and the community that believes education is a lifelong pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Beyond the Classroom
Questions about Red Lyceum?
Whether you are considering the course for a student or simply want to learn more, I’d be glad to hear from you. This course meets in person only Fridays in Weston MA.
Contact: redlyceum@gmail.com