Five Years Later: Holden Greiner

Five Years Later: Jordan Hamilton

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications

Holden Greiner lost his starting spot late in the 2011-12 season. He could have been upset. He could have been selfish. But instead, he focused on the betterment of the team.

That mindset and team mentality was prevalent, helping the Mountain Hawks win the 2012 Patriot League Championship, on their way to an upset of Duke in the NCAA Tournament.

"I was playing well, but John Adams was playing out of his mind," said Greiner. "You could see it in his eyes; it was the right move (for him to start). No part of me thought, what the heck, I started 25 games and I got hurt for one game, so why was I losing my spot?"

Greiner's selflessness was indicative of the team's attitude and focus on team goals.

"Holden was a high-level performer for us," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "After the adjustment in our starting lineup, Holden still contributed at a very high level, but he selflessly gave up his starting role. The combination of getting an increased bench production, along with the selflessness of many team members, was a major contributing factor to our team's high level of success."

Greiner and Adams were each others' biggest supporters. They knew each were needed for the team to be successful.

"We were in the same position, we're competitors and we both wanted to start, of course, but we wanted to prove that our position was a strong one," said Greiner. "Whenever one of us performed well, we were so happy for the other person. We would joke that we combined for the same player. If John and I each had 10 points, we'd say the power forward had 20 points."

The feeling between Greiner, Adams and the entire Lehigh Basketball program was a feeling of family, something that continues to stick with Greiner to this day.

"We cared about each other and did everything together," he said. "Everyone on that team wanted everyone else to succeed. We all bought in from day one. There was a special connection on that team, a special bond."

Several years after his Lehigh playing days, Greiner's appreciation of family has only grown. Following a strong junior season, Greiner was named first team All-Patriot League as a senior. That performance, and the Mountain Hawks' success as a program, helped propel Greiner to a professional basketball career.
9067

"I averaged 13.2 points a game my senior year," he said. "It's not like I was putting up crazy numbers, but I think professional organizations saw I was part of a winning program and we did things the right way."

Greiner played professional basketball in each of his first three seasons out of college. It began when Landstede Basketball from Zwolle in the Netherlands reached out to Greiner.

"At the end of the summer, I moved to a town right outside of Amsterdam," he said. "I had never been to Europe before, but I moved out there by myself. I didn't speak a lick of Dutch. It was a very, very unique situation. It was quite scary, actually.

"I got off at the airport and there was no one waiting for me," Greiner continued. "I had an email, in Dutch, saying what train ton take. I didn't know if I was going the right way or where I was going."

Once Greiner settled in, playing for Zwolle was an experience of a lifetime. He finished second on his team in scoring and earned numerous awards, including being named to Euro Basket's All-League Team and earning a start in the All-Star Game.

"It was a special group," said Greiner. "At the time, we set the record for most wins in club history. We finished the season ranked third; we were in first for much of the time, but had two starters go down with injuries.

"I was able to live in Europe and meet some of the coolest people," he continued. "I'm still in touch with some of my teammates, and I got to travel the world. On weekends, I could go to places like Madrid, Barcelona or Paris. It was very cool to be a 22-year old, living on your own in Europe and being paid to play the game you love."

For Greiner's second professional season, he signed in Cyprus, an island country off the coast of Greece. The feeling was much different.

"I was in a beautiful country and living on an island beach which was absolutely beautiful, but it was the first time I wasn't happy with basketball," said Greiner. "I met some great friends as well and had some great memories, but I realized that the family aspect, like at Lehigh and Zwolle, was important to me."

Greiner was in Cyprus for approximately half the season before getting hurt and returning home. The following season (his third year), Greiner signed in Luxembourg, a small country south of Germany. Greiner and former Mountain Hawks' teammate Jordan Hamilton were roommates as both were playing professionally in Luxembourg.

"It takes about an hour to drive through the whole country," said Greiner. "I played there for a few months, loved it and had a great experience."

Canada proved to be Greiner's final stop of professional basketball.

"I went to play for the London Lightning, was there for about four months and got hurt again," he said. "I would have been out for the rest of the season, so I went home. At that point, I had a decision to make. I had teams from France reaching out for the following season, but I was 25 years old and have always wanted to work in New York City, and in corporate business."

Lehigh connections helped Greiner land a job with AMC Networks, the television network that produces shows like Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and Mad Men.

"A couple opportunities came up through the wonderful Lehigh connections that we have, and I had a pretty amazing job offer in something I've always wanted to do," he said. "I decided it was time to step away from basketball and hang up the shoes."
9065

In Greiner's new role with AMC Networks, the former marketing major works in advertising sales.

"I work with a great team," he said. "I can't believe this is my job. We have premier parties. We take clients to all these cool events. The job is perfect for me and I know I can do well in an industry like this. Every day, I miss basketball, but at this point in my life, it's pretty great."

Greiner's college coach is proud of all he has accomplished.

"Holden, like many of our basketball alumni, are doing good things with their life post-Lehigh," said Reed. "Many have the chance to go on and play professionally, and Holden had that opportunity to pursue a dream, but they also know they're well-prepared for their future because of the power and influence of a Lehigh degree."

Greiner is very appreciative of what Lehigh has provided, both the degree itself and the skills learned that helped prepare him for his career.

"I would have never gotten this job if it wasn't for Lehigh, just with the alumni network and student-athlete alumni network," he said. "One of my supervisors at AMC Networks was on the Lehigh women's swim team years ago."

The two realized the connection several weeks into Greiner working with the company.

"Unless you go to Lehigh, you don't really understand that Lehigh connection," he said. "We both have mutual respect for each other and we know what we both went through while at school. Lehigh absolutely prepared me for this, helping me develop the necessary people skills, having confidence in myself, talking to a crowd, public speaking and learning to manage my time."

Greiner's day-to-day tasks can be busy and stressful, but he's well-prepared to manage his time effectively.

"I'm handling clients, our internal pricing team, our planning team, our account executives and our vice presidents," said Greiner. "I have my hands in so many pies at once and I'm juggling so many things. Time management is probably the hardest part of our job, but for me, it's not even an issue. I'm used to having an exam, a project, a game tomorrow, a four-hour practice and a 6 a.m. lift.

"This is just what I do, and it's all thanks to Lehigh - teaching me how to budget my time, get things done and prioritize."

Greiner is only a few years out of school and continues to feel a strong connection to the Lehigh men's basketball program. He has a close relationship with many members of the current team.

Greiner has been through the highs and lows of winning a championship and losing a tough game in the postseason. Even though the present-day Mountain Hawks have fallen short in the Patriot League Championship Game in each of the last two seasons, the fact that they're continually putting themselves in position for a title says a lot about the culture of winning within the program.

"If people weren't disappointed that they lost, then there'd be a problem," said Greiner. "If people were saying 'it was great to be there, it was cool to be in the championship,' then we would have an issue. The feeling of disappointment means people have faith in you and expect a lot out of you."

Greiner knows the Lehigh basketball family spans generations. The camaraderie, no matter one's graduation year, is special.

"The basketball alumni in New York City watch a lot of the games, we keep in touch and we're behind these guys," he said. "Even though we never played with a lot of the current team, we feel like their big brothers and we're family. My heart breaks for those guys because I know how it feels. Every time you lose, it feels like it's never going to get better, but that's why you get back in the gym."

Through his variety of experiences after Lehigh, Greiner grew an even greater appreciation of how much he values family. One example came when he told former teammate Zahir Carrington he'd be moving to New York City. In no time, several Mountain Hawk alums from the city reached out and offered to help in his transition to NYC.

"People were saying, if you need a place to crash while you find an apartment, we're here," said Greiner. "Whenever I need anything, I know I can reach out to any member of the Lehigh basketball family."

The Lehigh family was as strong as ever five years ago, when Greiner selflessly accepted his role off the bench as the Mountain Hawks capped off a season to remember by beating Duke in the NCAA Tournament. More than that singular win, the feeling of family is what made Greiner's Lehigh experience so great.

"The bond within the Lehigh basketball family is extremely special," he said. "For all the amazing things that happened at Lehigh, the most special is this network that spans from guys who are in their 80s to guys who are 17 or 18. Like guys have been there for me, I'm going to be there for the guys who come after me.

"The Lehigh basketball family is going to continue to grow and blossom. It's pretty special."

11732

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #16 Prairie View A&M University on March 18, 2026 , Loss , 55, to, 67

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #4 Boston University on March 11, 2026 , Win , 74, to, 60

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #3 Colgate University on March 8, 2026 , Win , 76, to, 69

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #10 Holy Cross on March 5, 2026 , Win , 69, to, 66

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Bucknell University on February 28, 2026 , Win , 89, to, 79

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at American University on February 25, 2026 , Win , 78, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Boston University on February 22, 2026 , Win , 70, to, 67

Lehigh University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos