Lou Holtz, the fiery and motivational coach who led the University of Notre Dame to its most recent national championship and built one of the most recognizable careers in college football, died Wednesday at age 89.
Holtz, who coached the Fighting Irish from 1986 to 1996, guided Notre Dame to a 12-0 season and the national title in 1988, cementing his place in the storied history of one of college football’s most celebrated programs. Reports in late January indicated that Holtz had entered hospice care.
Known for his direct style, motivational approach and unwavering defense of Notre Dame’s traditions, Holtz compiled a 100-30-2 record during his 11 seasons in South Bend, a winning percentage of .765. His teams captured five New Year’s Six bowl victories and regularly contended for national prominence during an era when the Irish were among the sport’s most visible programs.
Holtz’s defining season came in 1988, when fourth-ranked Notre Dame defeated top-ranked Miami 31-30 in the famed “Catholics vs. Convicts” matchup. The Irish finished the season undefeated and secured the national championship with a 34-21 win over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.
Five years later, Notre Dame again reached the center of the college football world by defeating top-ranked Florida State in a widely anticipated “Game of the Century” matchup, though the Irish lost the following week to Boston College.
Slightly built, bespectacled and speaking with a distinctive lisp, Holtz was widely regarded as a master motivator who pushed players relentlessly while earning lasting loyalty from those he coached. Former players often credited him with emphasizing life lessons alongside football discipline.
Over a 33-year college coaching career, Holtz built winning programs at several schools, including William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. His overall college head coaching record was 249-132-7.
Holtz also briefly coached in the NFL, leading the New York Jets in 1976 before resigning with one game left in the season.
A native of Follansbee, West Virginia, Holtz was raised in East Liverpool, Ohio. He played linebacker at Kent State before launching his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa in 1960. He later served as an assistant under Woody Hayes at Ohio State during the Buckeyes’ 1968 national championship season.
Holtz became the first coach to lead six different college programs to bowl games and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
After retiring from coaching, he became a prominent television analyst, appearing regularly on ESPN’s college football coverage from 2004 to 2015 and briefly working with CBS. He also became a popular motivational speaker.
Holtz was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.
He was married for nearly 59 years to his wife, Beth, who died in 2020. The couple had four children, including Skip Holtz, who followed his father into coaching.
Holtz also established the Holtz Charitable Foundation, which has provided educational assistance to the children of former players and financial support for families facing hardship.
Source: South Bend Tribune