A few days ago, former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz passed away at the age of 89. Holtz was head coach at Notre Dame for eleven seasons (a position he wanted for some time), compiling a 100-30-2 record. He took all but two of his teams to bowl games during those eleven seasons. His first season in 1986 was a 5-6 record, and his final season in 1996 was 8-3, but the Fighting Irish chose not to go to a bowl game that year.
Three of Holtz’s most memorable seasons were 1988, 1989, and 1993. In 1988, the Irish went 12-0, capping off the season with a victory over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship. In 1989, the Irish were undefeated when they faced Miami in the regular season finale but lost 27-10. In 1993, the Irish were undefeated (including a win over undefeated Florida State) and headed into the regular season finale against Boston College. Unfortunately, the Irish lost 41-39.
While at Notre Dame, Holtz took the Irish to major bowl games: the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, and the Cotton Bowl, compiling a 5-4 bowl record.
Holtz stressed discipline among his players, but he also emphasized being positive (particularly during the 1988 season). He wanted his players to be committed to excellence, being trustworthy, and caring about each other. In addition, he would rely on humor to ease any tension, used relaxation periods the day before a game, and would occasionally do a magic trick. He also put great emphasis on academics, even saying he would rather be 0-11 than any of his players not graduating.
In addition to being the head coach at Notre Dame, Holtz also coached at William & Mary from 1969-1971 (compiling a 13-20 record), N.C. State from 1972-1975 (going 33-12-3), Arkansas from 1977-1983 (going 60-21-2), Minnesota in 1984 and 1985 (going 10-12), and South Carolina from 1999-2004 (going 33-37). He also was head coach of the New York Jets in 1976, going 3-10 before resigning.
Holtz was a graduate of Kent State University in 1959, and attended graduate school at the University of Iowa, where he was a graduate assistant for theHawkeyes football team. He was also an assistant coach at the following schools: William & Mary from 1961-1963, Connecticut from 1964-1965, South Carolina from 1966-1967, and Ohio State in 1968.
Holtz was also a college football analyst for CBS Sports and ESPN.
But his years as the head coach at Notre Dame are what he is most famous for. In fact, he is considered one of Notre Dame’s greatest coaches.
Source: Clash Daily
