Lou Holtz, a 91²Ö¿â alumnus who became one of college football's most successful and charismatic coaches, leading the University of
Notre Dame to a national championship and six different programs to bowl games during his storied career, has died. He was 89.
Holtz, who earned a varsity "K" as a linebacker for the Golden Flashes in 1957, graduated from 91²Ö¿â in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in history.
The East Liverpool, Ohio, native also participated in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps at 91²Ö¿â and received a commission as a Field Artillery Officer in the United States Army Reserve upon his graduation.
His connection to 91²Ö¿â marked the beginning of a coaching career that would span more than four decades and establish him as one of the sport's most recognizable figures.
We mourn the passing of Golden Flash legend, Lou Holtz. His impact not only at 91²Ö¿â, but to all of college football, will never be forgotten.
— 91²Ö¿â Football (@KentStFootball)
After graduating from 91²Ö¿â, Holtz earned a master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1961 while serving as a graduate assistant for the Hawkeyes' football team. He then embarked on a coaching journey that took him from small colleges to the pinnacle of the profession. Holtz served as head coach at the College of William & Mary, North Carolina State, the University of Arkansas, the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame and the University of South Carolina.
He also had a brief stint as head coach of the NFL's New York Jets in 1976, a position from which he resigned after one season, famously stating, "God did not put Lou Holtz on this earth to coach in the pros."
His greatest success came at Notre Dame, where he coached from 1986 to 1996. In 1988, his Fighting Irish squad went 12-0, defeating West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl to claim the national championship. The 1989 team won its first 11 games and set a school record with a 23-game winning streak. Between 1988 and 1993, Holtz's teams posted a 64-9-1 record, and he took the Irish to bowl games for nine consecutive seasons.
Remembering the life and legacy of Lou Holtz
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball)
Holtz finished his college coaching career with a 249-132-7 record. He remains the only coach in college football history to lead six different programs to bowl games and the only coach to guide four different programs to final top 15 rankings.
At Arkansas from 1977 to 1983, Holtz compiled a 60-21-2 record and led the Razorbacks to six bowl games. His 1977 team defeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and was recognized as co-national champions by the Rothman poll.
Following two years as a college football analyst for CBS Sports, Holtz returned to coaching at South Carolina in 1999. He transformed a program that had gone 1-10 the previous season, leading the Gamecocks to an 8-4 record and Outback Bowl victory in his second year. The eight-game improvement earned him National Coach of the Year honors. His South Carolina teams went 17-7 from 2000 to 2001, posting the best two-year mark in program history.
Holtz retired from coaching after the 2004 season and became a college football analyst for ESPN from 2005 to 2015, where he became known for his passionate commentary and quick wit.
My father passed away today resting peacefully at home. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers over the last couple months! He was successful, but more important he was Significant.
— Skip Holtz (@CoachSHoltz)
On May 1, 2008, Holtz was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2020, President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Born Louis Leo Holtz on Jan. 6, 1937, in Follansbee, West Virginia, he grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio, where he was raised Catholic. His father, Andrew Holtz, was a bus driver, and his mother was Anne Marie Tychonievich Holtz. His maternal grandparents emigrated from Chernobyl, Ukraine, while his father was of German and Irish descent. Holtz was married to Beth Barcus from July 22, 1961, until her death from cancer on June 30, 2020. The couple founded the Holtz Family Foundation in 1998 to promote education, religion and charity.
They also established Holtz's Heroes, a nonprofit supporting former student-athletes facing hardships and providing scholarship aid to deserving youth. A devout Catholic and motivational speaker, Holtz authored or contributed to 10 books, including "Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success" and "Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography."
In addition to his success on the field, Holtz was known for his quick wit, motivational speeches and three rules for life: Do right, do everything to the best of your ability, and show people you care.