Posted on 03/04/2026 2:12:12 PM PST by PROCON
WASHINGTON — Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach who helped University of Notre Dame win the 1988 National Championship and coached at six colleges and universities, has died. He was 89.
The University of Notre Dame confirmed his death Wednesday in a news release, and the Holtz family issued a statement on X.
(Excerpt) Read more at king5.com ...
Rest In Peace, Lou.
One of the best coaches and gentleman in US history, he will be missed.
“There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.”
Gotta love Lou.
RIP Coach.
Holtz was probably extremely disheartened at the whole NIL system. In the long run it is going to kill college sports.
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
William & Mary Indians (Southern Conference) (1969–1971)
1969 William & Mary 3–7 2–2 4th
1970 William & Mary 5–7 3–1 1st L Tangerine
1971 William & Mary 5–6 4–1 2nd
William & Mary: 13–20 9–4
NC State Wolfpack (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1972–1975)
1972 NC State 8–3–1 4–1–1 2nd W Peach 17
1973 NC State 9–3 6–0 1st W Liberty 16
1974 NC State 9–2–1 4–2 2nd T Astro-Bluebonnet 9 11
1975 NC State 7–4–1 2–2–1 4th L Peach
NC State: 33–12–3 16–5–2
Arkansas Razorbacks (Southwest Conference) (1977–1983)
1977 Arkansas 11–1 7–1 2nd W Orange 3 3
1978 Arkansas 9–2–1 6–2 2nd T Fiesta 10 11
1979 Arkansas 10–2 7–1 T–1st L Sugar 9 8
1980 Arkansas 7–5 3–5 6th W Hall of Fame Classic
1981 Arkansas 8–4 5–3 4th L Gator 16
1982 Arkansas 9–2–1 5–2–1 3rd W Astro-Bluebonnet 8 9
1983 Arkansas 6–5 4–4 5th
Arkansas: 60–21–2 37–18–1
Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten Conference) (1984–1985)
1984 Minnesota 4–7 3–6 8th
1985 Minnesota 6–5 4–4 6th Independence[n 1]
Minnesota: 10–12 7–10
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Independent) (1986–1996)
1986 Notre Dame 5–6
1987 Notre Dame 8–4 L Cotton 17
1988 Notre Dame 12–0 W Fiesta 1 1
1989 Notre Dame 12–1 W Orange 3 2
1990 Notre Dame 9–3 L Orange 6 6
1991 Notre Dame 10–3 W Sugar 12 13
1992 Notre Dame 10–1–1 W Cotton† 4 4
1993 Notre Dame 11–1 W Cotton† 2 2
1994 Notre Dame 6–5–1 L Fiesta†
1995 Notre Dame 9–3 L Orange† 13 11
1996 Notre Dame 8–3 21 19
Notre Dame: 100–30–2
South Carolina Gamecocks (Southeastern Conference) (1999–2004)
1999 South Carolina 0–11 0–8 6th (Eastern)
2000 South Carolina 8–4 5–3 2nd (Eastern) W Outback 21 19
2001 South Carolina 9–3 5–3 3rd (Eastern) W Outback 13 13
2002 South Carolina 5–7 3–5 4th (Eastern)
2003 South Carolina 5–7 2–6 4th (Eastern)
2004 South Carolina 6–5 4–4 3rd (Eastern)
South Carolina: 33–37 19–29
Total: 249–132–7
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth
†Indicates Bowl Coalition or Bowl Alliance bowl.
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.
His college coaching record..... I think there was also one year with the Jets?
Actually, it was three players who violated team rules, leaving Roland Sales to start at RB. In the Orange Bowl, the heavy favorite Oklahoma lost to Arkansas, 31-6. The game wasn’t that close. Roland Sales set a new Orange Bowl rushing record, running for 205 yards. I literally broke my sofa jumping up and down on it!
Hard for me to type with all the tears from those memories.
Funny story: in Arkansas’ final game of the regular season, and with an Orange Bowl bid on the line, fans started throwing oranges onto the field!
After a late Razorback touchdown, with time left on the clock, fans began to tear down the goalpost. Holtz rushed onto the field, yelling, “Stop! We may need that goalpost again!”
When asked by a reporter about the oranges thrown onto the field after the game, Holtz replied, “I’m just glad we’re noy going to the Gator Bowl!”
Words of wisdom!
A lot of those oranges came from us in the band. We always had 2 cases of oranges and 2 cases of apples at the game for us and visiting bands.
We gave a case of apples to Texas band...they threw them at us.
I marched in that Orange Bowl.
Memory Eternal!
Condolences to family and friends of Lou Holz. RIP Lou.
We heard him speak at a convention years ago. Boy, was he dynamic!
He did make Gopher football fun. Catholics understood his choice.
R.I.P., but not nearly as legendary as the Great Barry Switzer who went to heaven earlier this week.
I first learned of him years ago from the brilliant series of Discover commercials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDXo17m5gMw
My most vivid memory of Barry Switzer was seeing him squatting on the Oklahoma sidelines back in the 1970’s, smoking a cigarette watching the Sooners & Nebraska play. Great coach, RIP.
Whoa you scared me there, Cardead. Barry Switzer is still with us as far as I could glean from information on the interwebs. As a Husker fan who always admired Barry except for one day a year, that news was shocking.
RIP Coach Holtz. One of my buddies from high school went to play for him and had a very unpleasant experience with him when he had a potentially paralyzing neurological injury which ended up causing him to have to retire from the game. That sullied my feelings for Coach Holtz but I still see him as a great coach and leader of men. He said one thing to my buddy that was way out of bounds but everyone says stupid things in anger from time to time. Not everyone can win a natty and he got that done. He was also a hell of an analyst after he left coaching.
At least he wont have to continue to see the disgusting s**t show and greed fest that college football has devolved into in the last several years.
"Anyone can sign the back of a check."
"There are worse things in life than writing a check to the IRS for $1 million."
He was a coach at UConn. Prayers to his family...
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