Longtime faculty soccer coach Lou Holtz died on Wednesday, Notre Dame introduced. He was 89.
Holtz had reportedly been in hospice look after months. He died Wednesday surrounded by his household in Orlando, Florida.
“Notre Dame mourns the loss of Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and a devoted husband, father and grandfather,” Notre Dame president Rev. Robert A Dowd stated in a press release, partly. “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.”
Holtz was a head coach at six completely different faculties and even spent a season because the coach of the New York Jets. He’s most recognized for his tenure at Notre Dame from 1986 via 1996 because the Fighting Irish went 100-30-2 underneath his watch.
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Notre Dame went 12-0 in 1988 and completed the season at No. 1 in each the AP Top 25 and the coaches ballot after its Fiesta Bowl win. It was the primary nationwide title for the Irish in 11 years after they received 4 throughout the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies.
The Irish allowed simply 11.2 factors per recreation that season and famously beat Miami 31-30 on Oct. 15. The Hurricanes entered that recreation at No. 1 whereas Notre Dame was No. 4. The Irish’s win broke Miami’s 36-game win streak and moved Notre Dame as much as No. 2 within the AP Top 25. The victory is likely one of the most iconic fashionable faculty soccer video games of all time.
The Irish sealed that nationwide championship with a 34-21 win over (*89*) Virginia. It’s nonetheless the latest title Notre Dame has received in soccer. The Irish made it to the nationwide championship recreation after the 2024 season — a recreation Holtz attended — and had been controversially disregarded of the College Football Playoff in 2025.
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Holtz left Notre Dame after the 1996 season and was employed at South Carolina in 1999. He circled a Gamecocks program that went 0-11 in his first season earlier than going 8-4 in 2000 and 9-3 in 2001. After two 5-7 seasons, Holtz retired from teaching following a 6-5 season. A brawl vs. Clemson marred his last recreation at South Carolina, and each groups refused bowl berths at the tip of the season as a punishment for what occurred.
Before Notre Dame
Holtz’s head teaching profession began at William & Mary. He spent three seasons with the Tribe earlier than he was employed at NC State. He was 33-12-3 with the Wolfpack earlier than he was employed by the Jets forward of the 1976 season.
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His time within the NFL didn’t final lengthy. The Jets had been simply 3-10 earlier than Holtz resigned with a recreation to go within the common season.
Holtz instantly went again to the faculty ranks and was employed by Arkansas forward of the 1977 season after longtime coach Frank Broyles stepped down. The Razorbacks had been 11-1 in Holtz’s first season with the workforce and received the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas received 10 video games once more in 1979, and Holtz completed his Arkansas tenure with a 60-21-2 report when he was fired after the 1983 season.
Holtz then spent two seasons at Minnesota earlier than taking the Notre Dame job. The Gophers had been 10-12 in these two seasons.
Post-coaching profession
Holtz is thought by many youthful faculty soccer followers for his time at ESPN as a studio analyst for the community’s faculty soccer protection. He left ESPN in 2015.
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Holtz was additionally politically lively, each as a coach and after he was carried out teaching. At Arkansas, he filmed marketing campaign adverts for North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms.
Though he flirted with the thought of changing into a politician himself, Holtz by no means formally ran for workplace as a Republican, although he remained lively in GOP circles. He spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention and made a disparaging comment about President Joe Biden’s Catholicism. The remark brought on Notre Dame to disavow what Holtz stated.
Months after Holtz’s speech, Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.