ORLANDO, Fla. — Lou Holtz, the college football coach who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988 and built a reputation as one of the sport’s premier program rebuilders, died Wednesday at the age of 89. His family announced the news but did not disclose a cause of death. He was surrounded by family at the time of his passing in Orlando.
Holtz, a native of Follansbee, W.Va., compiled a head coaching record of 249-132-7 across six college programs — William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. He also spent one season with the New York Jets, going 3-10, before returning to the college game.
His tenure at Notre Dame, which began in 1986, stands as his defining achievement. He was hired to restore a program that had struggled under predecessor Gerry Faust, and he delivered, culminating in an undefeated national title season two years later.
The connection to Notre Dame ran deep and personal for Holtz. He grew up in the 1940s in East Liverpool, Ohio, listening to the Fighting Irish on the radio and marching to the Notre Dame Victory March at school. So committed was he to one day coaching there that he negotiated a clause into his Minnesota contract allowing him to leave for Notre Dame — but only if he first guided the Gophers to a bowl game. He did exactly that in 1985 and departed the following year.
Holtz went on to work in television after retiring from coaching, spending more than a decade as an analyst at ESPN. He spoke often about the values of character, integrity and collective effort that he believed defined Notre Dame football at its best.
