But as his old enemies in the Bristol City crowd gave him a warm reception - he was a player and manager of city rivals Rovers - he got what he came for, three points.
His new team, which he had seen for just one training session, scored in each half as they secured their second away win of the campaign.
For City, who briefly headed the Championship in September, it was a third defeat in a row, a sequence in which they have failed to score.
But the match ended with a blemish for Holloway as his man-of-the-match, Matt Fryatt, was sent off for elbowing Liam Fontaine right under the nose of the referee.
The incident happened as the fourth official was hoisting the sign for four minutes of stoppage time.
The first of the goals which sank City came midway through the opening half following a very minor foul by midfielder Marvin Elliott just inside the right touchline and midway between the goal and centre circle.
Clearing it should have been routine, but Alan Sheehan crossed the ball into the box where, from six yards, Richard Stearman fired past Adriano Basso.
From then on until the break Bristol City hardly got a look-in. Their two regular centre-backs were suspended and the defence as a whole was caught out by the fluid attacks led by Sheehan and Fryatt.
City ran into more trouble early in the second half when their makeshift right-back, Cole Skuse, limped out of his first start of the season.
Then a mix-up between their captain Louis Carey and Basso nearly handed Fryatt a goal before the keeper made a desperate dive on the edge of the box.
Fryatt opened up the home defence only for Iain Hume to send a volley high over the bar. But there was no mistake the next time the pair descended on goal.
Fryatt again laid the ball off, Hume gave it back and, with defenders nowhere, Fryatt slipped it in.