Lou Holtz, resourceful college football coach; notre dame cathedral The 1988 All-American champion who earned a reputation as a master program rebuilder has died at age 89, his family announced Wednesday.

Holtz died surrounded by his family in Orlando, Florida, according to a statement released by Notre Dame. A spokesperson said the cause of death had not been disclosed by the family.

From Lou Holtz’s family pic.twitter.com/aYWiXYVnLq

— Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) March 4, 2026

Current Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman said Holtz has provided “tremendous support” since arriving in South Bend, praising the values ​​Holtz emphasized such as love, trust and dedication.

“Lou’s values ​​extend far beyond the field of football.” Freeman said in a statement: on social media. “He and his wife, Beth, are respected across campus for their generous hearts and dedication to carrying out Notre Dame’s mission of being a force for good. On behalf of the Notre Dame football program, we send our love to Lou’s family, friends and former players and wish them comfort and peace during this difficult time.”

Holtz compiled a 249-132-7 record as a head coach at six schools: William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina.

Also coached in the NFL new york jets The 1976 season ended with 3 wins and 10 losses.

After retiring from coaching, Holtz spent more than a decade working in television at ESPN, but his greatest accomplishment was with the Irish national team.

Notre Dame hired Holtz in 1986 to restore a once-proud program that had stumbled under Jerry Faust. The hire was a childhood dream come true for Holtz, who grew up listening to Notre Dame football on the radio in the 1940s. Throughout his career, he fondly recalled attending Notre Dame’s Victory March while in elementary school in Ohio. Holtz had a “Notre Dame clause” written into his Minnesota contract that allowed him to leave for Ireland only if he took the Gophers to a bowl game.

That happened in 1985, paving the way for Holtz to lead the Irish national team.

“I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to come to Notre Dame,” he said at his inaugural press conference. “I felt like this was a lifelong dream.”

Years later, in a video celebrating Notre Dame football’s 125th anniversary, quarterback Steve Beuerlein recalled the first team meeting held by Holtz.

“Many of us were slouched in our chairs, our hats on and our backs turned, not very impressed by what was going on,” Beuerlein said. “He got up on the podium and looked at our team and said, ‘Put your feet on the floor, sit up tall, take off your hats and get ready to play football.’ We got up and thought, ‘Oh my god, what the hell is this guy doing?’ We quickly learned it was a whole new deal. ”

Holtz became known for his one-liners and sense of humor, but as a coach he was disciplined and held his players to very high standards. That’s a big part of why Notre Dame quickly began to see success.

In 1987, receiver Tim Brown won the Heisman Trophy and Notre Dame went 8-4 and advanced to the Cotton Bowl.

That would be just the beginning.

The 1988 season would end up being his best season. The victory over arch-rival Miami was not only a defining moment, it remains one of the greatest games in college football history. No. 1 ranked Miami traveled to play No. 4 Notre Dame in a game dubbed “Catholic vs. Prisoners.” The Irish suffered a blowout loss to the Hurricanes last season, prompting Holtz to create T-shirts for the players that read, “From the ashes, Notre Dame will rise.” In a tense and emotional game that went back and forth until the end, Pat Terrell converted a two-point conversion pass attempt from Miami’s Steve Walsh and held on for a 31-30 victory.

Notre Dame closed out the season with a win over No. 2 USC and defeated No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl, going 12-0 and ending the season with a national championship.

In addition, Holtz led the Irish to second place at the national championship twice (1989, 1993).

He won 100 games in 11 seasons at Notre Dame, ranking third on the school’s all-time list behind Brian Kelly (106) and Knute Rockne (105). He also led the Irish to a school-record 23 consecutive wins (1988-89) and nine consecutive January bowl game appearances, a feat unmatched to date.

Former Notre Dame running back Autry Denson once said:

Mr. Holtz surprisingly walked away from Notre Dame in 1996 with little explanation. But trying to maintain what he achieved in his first three seasons took a toll on him.

In 2002, Holtz told the Associated Press that he was “tired of maintaining.” “…What I should have done was set dreams and goals and ambitions for this university and football program that no one thought were possible.”

Holtz has left Notre Dame, but his coaching career is far from over. He took over at the University of South Carolina in 1999, coaching alongside his son Skip. After a winless first season, he led the team to an 8-4 record in 2000 and became the first team in school history to make back-to-back appearances in a January 1 bowl game.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump in 2020.

His 249 career wins rank 10th among Division I FBS head coaches.

Holtz joined ESPN in 2004 as a college football commentator, earning him the nickname “Dr. Lou.”

Holtz was born in West Virginia on January 6, 1937, the son of a Navy veteran who served during World War II. He played college football at Kent State University before becoming a coach and worked under Woody Hayes at Ohio State in 1968. Holtz called Hayes “probably the biggest influence on my life other than my wife” in an interview with Cleveland.com.

After the 1968 season, Holtz took his first head coaching job at William & Mary, then went to North Carolina State University, then to the Jets for one NFL season. Holtz returned to college football at the University of Arkansas in 1977. His first season with the Razorbacks helped solidify the perception that he was a magician who made teams believe and win. In the 1978 Orange Bowl, the Sooners’ hopes of winning a national championship were dashed when No. 6 Arkansas defeated No. 2 Oklahoma, 31-6, despite missing three starting pitchers due to suspensions.

Holtz went 60-21-2 in seven seasons at the University of Arkansas, but resigned in 1983 after coming under fire for filming two television commercials in his office supporting conservative North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms. They became friends when Holtz was coaching at North Carolina State.

Throughout his career, Holtz’s wit, humor, and philosophy of life were on full display.

“Thank God I wasn’t invited to the Gator Bowl,” Holtz said after qualifying for the Orange Bowl at the University of Arkansas and having an orange thrown on the field. Regarding coaching, Holtz said, “Coaching is all about eliminating mistakes before you get fired.” On encouraging players to work hard: “No one has ever drowned in sweat.”

“Once people realize that I’m not going to die and come back within three days, they’ll forget about me, and that’s the way it should be,” Holtz wrote in his book, “Wins, Losses, and Lessons.”

Holtz is survived by four children: Luann, Skip, Kevin and Elizabeth.