Lou Holtz, iconic Notre Dame football coach dies. He was one-of-a-kind

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Lou Holtz, iconic Notre Dame football coach dies. He was one-of-a-kind

A.J. Perez and Matthew Glenesk, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Wed, Mar 4, 2026 ·

5 min read

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Lou Holtz , the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to its last national title in 1988 , died on Wednesday, March 4. He was 89.

Holtz spent parts of five decades as a college football head coach, leading four programs to Top 25 finishes and six schools to bowl games, an NCAA record. While he didn't last a full season in his lone stint in the NFL with the New York Jets in 1976 and he was dogged by controversy at times, Holtz's 11-year run at Notre Dame cemented his status as one of the game's great coaches.

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"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," Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd said in a news release.

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Follow Lou Holtz's legacy of leadership as a college football coach

Lou Holtz, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to the 1988 national title, has entered hospice care , according to ABC57 and other reports.
Lou Holtz, 89, was at the helm for the Fighting Irish from 1986 to 1996, leading the team to a perfect 12-0 season and the national championship in 1988.
Notre Dame Lou Holtz is seen during a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.

(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

Notre Dame Irish head coach Lou Holtz during the 1988 season at Notre Dame Stadium.
(Malcolm Emmons, Imagn Images)

Lou Holtz, Head Coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before the NCAA Independent Conference college football game against the University of Purdue Boilermakers on Sept. 24 1988 at the Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.
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Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz prior to the 1989 Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia at Sun Devil Stadium.The Irish defeated the Mountaineers 34-21 to win the National Championship and finish the season undefeated at 12-0.
(Malcolm Emmons-US PRESSWIRE, Imagn Images)

Notre Dame Irish head coach Lou Holtz on the sideline against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 18, 1989.
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz walks off the field following a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Nov. 18, 1989 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
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Notre Dame Irish head coach Lou Holtz is carried off the field following their victory over Colorado winning the 1989 National Championship at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1990 in Miami.
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Notre Dame Irish head coach Lou Holtz leads his team onto the field during the 1993 season at Notre Dame Stadium.
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Lou Holtz, head coach of Notre Dame on the sideline on Sept. 4, 1993: .
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz on the field prior to the game against Stanford Cardinal at Foster Field at Stanford Stadium on Oct. 2, 1993.
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Coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish argues with the official during a game against the Northwestern Wildcats on Sept. 3, 1994.
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

Coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watches his players during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 30, 1995
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Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz addresses his team in the locker room post game after playing Southern California Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 21, 1995.
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Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish gives some words of encouragement to his quarterback Tom Krug during the Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 1, 1996. FSU defeated Notre Dame 31-26.
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Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is carried off the field by his team after defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 62-0 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. on Nov. 23, 1996.
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish addresses the crowd at the completion of his final home game as Notre Dame head coach on Nov. 23, 1996.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

Head Coach Lou Holtz of the South Carolina Gamecocks yells at the line judge during the game against the Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla on Nov. 11, 2000.
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Head coach Lou Holtz of the South Carolina Gamecocks motions for the team to leave the field prior to the start of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 13, 2003 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
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Former head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has a statue unveiled before the game against the Michigan Wolverines on Sept. 13, 2008 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
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Former head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish walks out for the coin toss with David Grimes, David Bruton and Maurice Crum prior to playing the Michigan Wolverines on Sept. 13, 2008 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
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ESPN reporter Lou Holtz looks on during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game between the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers at University of Phoenix Stadium on Jan. 10, 2011 in Glendale, Ariz.
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Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz speaks during a campaign rally for Republican Senate candidate Mike Braun and attended by President Donald Trump at the County War Memorial Coliseum Nov. 5, 2018 in Fort Wayne, Ind.
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President Donald Trump speaks with the press alongside former American football player and coach Lou Holtz upon arrival at Pittsburgh International Airport on Oct. 31, 2020.
(MANDEL NGAN, AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Freedom to former college football coach Lou Holtz in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 3, 2020 in Washington, DC. Holtz is best known for his time as head coach of University of Notre Dame's football team, winning a national championship in the 1988 season.
(Pool photo by Doug Mills via Getty Images)

Lou Holtz leaves the stage during a rally with former President Donald Trump at the Florence Regional Airport on March 12, 2022 in Florence, S.C.
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Former North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Lou Holtz is honored along with his 1973 football team during the first half at Carter-Finley Stadium on Oct. 7, 2023 in Raleigh, N.C.
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Former Notre Dame Fighting and Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Lou Holtz holds a press conference prior to the game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025 in Fayetteville, Ark.
(Nelson Chenault, Imagn Images)

"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... Whenever Notre Dame called to ask for his help, Lou answered with his characteristic generosity, and he will be sorely missed."

Coming off years of mediocrity, Notre Dame hired Holtz before the 1986 season and by 1988 he had built the Fighting Irish back into a title-contending team. Led by quarterback Tony Rice, running backs Mark Green and Ricky Watters along with receiver/kick returner Raghib Ismail, the Fighting Irish beat four ranked teams and finished 12-0.

"Everyone told me why we couldn't win," Holtz wrote. "The academic standards, the tough schedule, the no-redshirting policy, the lack of an athletic dormitory — all those were reasons people gave me why Notre Dame would never be great again."

The biggest test that season came on Oct. 15, 1988, when Notre Dame faced Miami, which was ranked No. 1 and coached by Jimmy Johnson at the time. Billed as " Catholics vs. Convicts ," Notre Dame won 31-30 to end the Hurricanes' 36-game regular-season winning streak.

Notre Dame finished atop the AP and coaches poll after a 34-21 victory against the third-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers at the Fiesta Bowl. Holtz coached Notre Dame to one-loss seasons in 1989 and 1993, finishing second in the polls each season.

He stepped down in 1996 after compiling a 100-30-2 record at the school.

After two years working for CBS Sports, Holtz returned to the sideline with South Carolina . He was selected as the 2000 SEC Coach of the Year and led the Gamecocks to consecutive postseason bowls for the first time in school history. But his six-season tenure ended after his team and Clemson were involved a 10-minute brawl in November 2004, which led both schools to forgo bowl bids.

His final career record was 249-132-7.

South Carolina was put on probation after Holtz's departure, the third such Holtz-led program to be sanctioned by the NCAA.

Holtz returned to television, this time for ESPN where he spent a decade as a college football analyst.

A staunch Republican, Holtz drew heavy criticism a few times in his 31 years as a head college football coach and afterward. He backed Republican Jesse Helms, a longtime opponent to civil rights legislation, in a reelection bid while Holtz was a coach at Arkansas in the early 1980s.

Holtz endorsed businessman Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and his comments on immigration cost him speaking engagements. He called the immigrants coming to the U.S. an "invasion" and criticized immigrants for not assimilating.

"I don't want to become you," Holtz said at a Republican pro-life luncheon in July 2016. "I don't want to speak your language. I don't want to celebrate your holidays. I sure as hell don't want to cheer for your soccer team."

Holtz flirted with the idea of running for Congress in 2009, although he decided not to enter the race for a Florida seat.

Lou Holtz age: How old was Lou Holtz?

The longtime college football coach was 89.

Lou Holtz coaching career record

1969:William & Mary, 3-7
1970:William & Mary, 5-7
1971:William & Mary, 5-6
1972:NC State, 8-3-1
1973:NC State, 9-3
1974:NC State, 9-2-1
1975:NC State, 7-4-1
1977:Arkansas, 11-1
1978:Arkansas, 9-2-1
1979:Arkansas, 10-2
1980:Arkansas, 7-5
1981:Arkansas, 8-4
1982:Arkansas: 9-2-1
1983:Arkansas, 6-5
1984:Minnesota, 4-7
1985:Minnesota, 6-5
1986:Notre Dame, 5-6
1987:Notre Dame, 8-4
1988:Notre Dame, 12-0
1989:Notre Dame, 12-1
1990:Notre Dame, 9-3
1991:Notre Dame, 10-3
1992:Notre Dame: 10-1-1
1993:Notre Dame, 11-1
1994:Notre Dame: 6-5-1
1995:Notre Dame, 9-3
1996:Notre Dame, 8-3
1999:South Carolina, 0-11
2000:South Carolina, 8-4
2001:South Carolina, 9-3
2002:South Carolina, 5-7
2003:South Carolina, 5-7
2004:South Carolina, 6-5
TOTAL:33 seasons, 249-132-7 (.651)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lou Holtz dies: Legendary Notre Dame football coach led Irish to 1988 title

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