Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz, who led the Irish to a title in 1988, dies at 89

One of the biggest names in Notre Dame football history passed away on Wednesday.

Lou Holtz, a beloved Fighting Irish icon and the last head coach to win a national championship at Notre Dame, died in Orlando, Florida, his family announced through the school.

He was 89 years old.

“Lou and I shared a very special relationship,” Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman wrote in a statement. “He welcomed me to the Notre Dame family immediately, offering me great support throughout our time together. Our relationship meant a lot to me as I admired the values he used to build the foundation of his coaching career: love, trust and commitment.”

Remembering Lou Holtz:

Holtz was hired in South Bend ahead of the 1986 season, and in two years reached the pinnacle of the sport.

He led the Irish to the 1988 National Championship with an undefeated 12-0 record. The Irish beat West Virginia in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl 34-21 to finish No. 1 in the nation.

That national championship season was the start of a 64-9-1 run for Holtz at Notre Dame. He led the Irish to a 23-game win streak, back-to-back 12-win seasons and nine consecutive bowl game appearances. Those nine-straight bowl appearances were a program record. 

Holtz instituted the “Play Like A Champion Today” sign outside of the Notre Dame locker room that players still honor in the present day.

As a head coach with stints at South Carolina, Arkansas, Minnesota, William & Mary and N.C. State, Holtz won 249 games. He earned 100 of those victories at Notre Dame from 1986 to 1996. 

Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

What they’re saying:

“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,” University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd said in a statement. 

“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.  In the years since leaving the head football coach position, Lou, together with his beloved wife Beth, supported Notre Dame in innumerable ways, among them making possible the refurbishment of four residence hall chapels and the construction of the Beth and Lou Holtz Grand Reading Room on the first floor of  Hesburgh Library – tangible signs of their great love for their Catholic faith and the mission of Our Lady’s University.  Whenever Notre Dame called to ask for his help, Lou answered with his characteristic generosity, and he will be sorely missed.  The prayers of the entire Notre Dame community are with his family and many friends in this time of sorrow. May he rest in the peace and love of Christ.”

Lou’s impact at Notre Dame has gone well beyond the football field. He and his wife, Beth, are respected across campus for their generous hearts and commitment to carrying out Notre Dame’s mission of being a force for good,” Freeman wrote in a statement. “On behalf of the Notre Dame Football program, we send our love to Lou’s family, friends and former players, wishing you all comfort and peace during this difficult time.”