RIP Lou Holtz (89)
Lou Holtz has died at the age of 89, his family announced Wednesday.
— ESPN (@espn) March 4, 2026
The legendary football coach and ESPN analyst led six college programs and won the 1988 national title at Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/r6v7lhQ3wA
Lou Holtz, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and won 249 games over 33 seasons at six schools, has died. He was 89.
Notre Dame announced on Wednesday that Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his family. Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said a cause of death was not provided by the family.
Holtz became the first and so far only coach to lead six different teams to bowl games during a career in which he compiled a record of 249-132-7. He still ranks 10th all-time in career victories by a Football Bowl Subdivision coach, eighth all-time with 388 games coached.
At Notre Dame, he went 100-30-2 in 11 seasons producing both the third-highest win total in school history and the second-highest loss total.
Holtz won at every stop — except for a brief stint in the NFL.
He didn’t just win games, either. The diminutive coach captivated fans with his occasionally fiery sideline demeanor, his self-deprecating wit and folksy phrases all while demanding excellence, on and off the field, from his much larger players.
Holtz became such a popular personality that after coaching his last game, in 2004 with South Carolina, he parlayed that into a broadcasting career and motivational speaking.
AP
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
As a Notre Dame fan, this one is rough. RIP Lou
Can't remember the time or circumstance, but didn't the Vikings once consider Holtz a head coach candidate?
He broke my heart leaving MN for ND...But I understood it then and now.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
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