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Legendary college football coach Lou Holtz, who led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to their most recent national championship and spent 33 years leading teams, passed away on Wednesday. He was 89-years-old.
Notre Dame confirmed Holtz’s death in a statement and stated that he died peacefully while surrounded by family. “Notre Dame mourns the loss of Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and devoted husband, father and grandfather,” the university announced in a statement.
“Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime,” the statement continued. The university further noted that Holtz and his wife, Beth, had continuously supported the university in the years following his departure as head coach, describing their contributions as “tangible signs of their great love for their Catholic faith and the mission of Our Lady’s University.”
Holtz poses for a photo with an Airman during a visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln on July 25, 2007
Notre Dame also released a touching video tribute to Holtz that detailed his time at the university, including his team’s legendary championship run in 1988. The victory stands as the most recent national title victory for one of the most historic programs in the sport.
“The prayers of the entire Notre Dame community are with his family and many friends in this time of sorrow. May he rest in the peace and love of Christ,” said Notre Dame University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd.
Holtz began his coaching career at the University of Iowa in 1960 before landing his first head coaching gig at the College of William and Mary in 1969. He compiled an overall record of 13-20 with the university and led the team to a Tangerine Bowl appearance in 1970.
He then accepted a head coaching gig at North Carolina State, where he enjoyed much success and led the team to an ACC championship in 1973. The following year, Holtz headed up the NFL’s New York Jets for one season before returning to the college game with Arkansas.
As head coach of the Razorbacks, Holtz led the team to six bowl game appearances — including an Orange Bowl victory in 1978. After a brief stint with the University of Minnesota from 1984-85, Holtz accepted a head coaching offer from the Fighting Irish, where he would reach legendary status.
Holtz turned around what had been a struggling program in prior years in 1986 and ultimately led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game in 1988. That team stands as the last Notre Dame squad to win a national championship in a Fiesta Bowl win over the University of West Virginia.
His teams had nine straight bowl appearances, 10 straight winning seasons, and a dominant 64–9–1 stretch from 1988–93. Notre Dame went 12–1 in 1989 as well.
Holtz briefly retired following his Notre Dame tenure before ultimately wrapping up his coaching career with the University of South Carolina from 1999 from 2004. He once again turned around a struggling program that had gone 0-11 the year before and led the Gamecocks to multiple bowl appearances. In 2000, he received SEC Coach of the Year honors.
Remembering the life and legacy of Lou Holtz pic.twitter.com/8WiEtVr6fT
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 4, 2026
After retiring from coaching, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Following his final coaching stint at South Carolina, he joined ESPN in 2005 as a studio analyst and remained there until parting ways by mutual agreement in April 2015. He was a familiar face on the network’s most popular football programs, including “College Gameday.”
Holtz was a longtime conservative Republican and vocal supporter of traditional values, faith, and strong leadership. He endorsed Republicans such as Jesse Helms, hosted Dan Quayle fundraisers, spoke at House Republican events, and considered a 2009 Florida congressional run.
A strong support of President Donald Trump, he spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2020 and referred to then-Democrat candidate Joe Biden as a “Catholic in name only.”
On September 4, 2020, President Donald Trump announced he would award Holtz the nation’s highest civilian honor — the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Today it’s my privilege to present our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to one of the greatest coaches in American history: the legendary Lou Holtz — a friend of mine,” Trump said during the ceremony.
“I want to assure you how proud I am not only to receive the award; I’m even prouder to receive it from President Donald Trump, who I think was the greatest President during my lifetime,” the legendary coach said in his acceptance speech.
Holtz’s passing comes a little over five years after his wife, Betsy, passed away following a battle with cancer. He is survived by his four children: Luanne, Lou Jr. (Skip), Kevin, and Elizabeth, as well as nine grandchildren.