SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Lou Holtz, the Hall of Fame coach who led the University of Notre Dame to the 1988 National Championship, has died at the age of 89.
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Holtz won 249 games during a collegiate head coaching career that included 100 victories at Notre Dame and successful stints at five other universities.
Holtz led the Fighting Irish from 1986 through 1996, a period highlighted by a perfect 12-0 season in 1988 and a 23-game winning streak.
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He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and is credited with instituting several of the university’s most recognizable football traditions, including the ‘Play Like A Champion’ sign.
Holtz began his head coaching career at William & Mary in 1969 before moving to NC State for the 1972 season.
During his four years with the Wolfpack, he won 33 games and claimed the 1973 ACC Championship.
After a one-year stint in the NFL with the New York Jets, he returned to the collegiate level at Arkansas in 1977.
Following a successful run at Arkansas where he finished 60-21-2, Holtz moved to the University of Minnesota in 1984.
His tenure in South Bend was marked by a 23-game winning streak and a program-record nine consecutive bowl game appearances.
Beyond his win-loss record, Holtz established several enduring traditions at Notre Dame.
He was responsible for the first display of the ‘Play Like A Champion’ sign in the football locker room, which players still touch before entering the field.
He also removed names from the backs of jerseys to prioritize the team over individual players, a practice the university continues to follow during all regular-season games.
During his decade at Notre Dame, Holtz coached 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown and several College Football Hall of Famers.
Those legendary players include Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail, Michael Stonebreaker, Aaron Taylor and Chris Zorich.
Many of his former players later formed Holtz’s Heroes, a foundation that provides financial and mental health support to former student-athletes and scholarship aid to youth.
After retiring from Notre Dame in 1996 and serving as a CBS Sports commentator, Holtz returned to coaching at South Carolina in 1999.
After an initial winless season, he led the Gamecocks to an 8-5 record and an Outback Bowl victory over Ohio State in his second year.
The turnaround earned him national coach of the year honors, and he went on to win 33 games with the program over six seasons.
The Holtz family remained deeply involved with the Notre Dame community through philanthropy and service.
In 2021, the university dedicated the Beth and Lou Holtz Family Grand Reading Room at the Hesburgh Library following a gift from Holtz in memory of his wife, Beth, who died in June 2020.
Holtz was recognized with an honorary doctor of laws degree from Notre Dame during the 2011 Commencement ceremonies.
His family also established the Lou and Beth Holtz Family Scholarship and funded renovations for several residence hall chapels on campus
Most recently, Holtz returned to the university during the 2025 football season to present the colors for the National Anthem before the Notre Dame game against Texas A&M.
Born on Jan. 6, 1937, in Follansbee, West Virginia, Holtz grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio, and played football at Kent State University.
He is survived by his four children: Luanne, Lou ‘Skip’ Jr., Kevin and Elizabeth. Three of his children are graduates of the University of Notre Dame.
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